Wearable technology for snow clothing

For the cross-scientific approach, a network of four university departments and four industrial companies was formed. The Institute of Electronics and the Institute of Textiles from Tampere University of Technology, the Institnte of Industrial Arts and the Institute of Textile Design from University of Lapland, the snowmobile suit manufacturer Reima-Tutta Oy, compass and navigating systems producer Suunto heart rate monitor producer Polar-Electro Oy, and DuPont Advanced Fibre Systems were the participants. In addition, Siemens and Nokia Mobile Phones assisted with GSM (global system for mobile communication) coimnunications. Altogether, more than ten researchers worked on the project. 

The snowmobile suit was selected as the prototype. A snowmobile is a vehicle used for work and leisure in harsh arctic winter conditions. The driver may be alone or in a group in remote areas. His health and even his life may 

Work started in the autumn of 1998 with a brainstorming phase which ended in the spring of 1999. A product design phase followed and the prototype was tested in Northern Lapland during the winter of 1999 2000. Maximum publicity was one of the objectives of the project. A well-planned press release and a show were organized for spring 2000, and the show was filmed by more than ten international TV stations. Finally, the experiences from the prototype and the smart clothing philosophy were displayed in the Finnish pavilion at the Expo 2000 World Fair in Hanover. 

The objective was to design and build as many ditferent features into the prototype as possible. The electronics and other devices should be part of the garment, rather than being inserted into pockets and picked out when needed. All wires and other devices must be hidden and the garment must look, inside 

Budget and time limitations meant that no basic research could be done and the inventing of totally new devices should be kept to a minimum. This forced the research team to use existing technology, but applications could be new. 

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