The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
New frontiers in wearable technology
The UMRA Forum featured Brad Holschuh, PhD, co-director of the Wearable Technology Laboratory (WTL) in the University of Minnesota College of Design. Holschuh highlighted the work of the interdisciplinary WTL and recent advancements in technologies that can be integrated into fabrics.
Founded in 2009, the lab focuses on the intersection between apparel and new technologies in areas including medical, wellness, human space flight, e-textile manufacturing, and human-computer action. Could a computer-mediated compression vest help a person’s mental health? What methods could heat the human body instead of the environment? How can astronauts keep their hands dry during space flight? Could a sensing garment help to identify and monitor health issues? How can compression sox be more comfortable and versatile?
An assistant professor in the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel, Brad Holschuh, PhD, also serves on the graduate faculty of the Department of Human Factors and Ergonomics and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics.
New frontiers in wearable technology
Tue, January 26 2021, 12pm
Brad Holschuh, PhD
Co-director
Wearable Technology Laboratory, College of Design
Event to be held via Zoom.
An assistant professor in the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel, Brad Holschuh, PhD, also serves on the graduate faculty of the Department of Human Factors and Ergonomics and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics.
The UMRA Forum at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 26, will feature Brad Holschuh, PhD, co-director of the Wearable Technology Laboratory (WTL) in the University of Minnesota College of Design. Holschuh will highlight the work of the interdisciplinary WTL and recent advancements in technologies that can be integrated into fabrics.
Consider, for example, typical compression stockings that squeeze the legs to help with circulatory issues. They are difficult to put on and uncomfortable to wear because they are designed to be too small in order to provide compression. By integrating technologies such as sensors and actuators into the structure of the clothing, it could be possible to create stockings that are selectively tight—meaning, they could tighten in different areas, at different times, and at different magnitudes. You could have compression stockings that are initially loose fitting, easy to put on, and can later tighten to provide the therapeutic effect when it is desired.
Incorporating such technology into clothing creates special challenges beyond those faced by other wearable technologies like smart watches and fitness trackers. Holschuh will discuss the current research challenges, best practices for clothing-integrated technologies, and potential applications under development in the WTL.
Real, everyday uses
Founded in 2009, the lab focuses on the intersection between apparel and new technologies in areas including medical, wellness, human space flight, e-textile manufacturing, and human-computer action.
Many WTL projects deal with translating technological potential into real uses in our everyday world. Could a computer-mediated compression vest help a person’s mental health? What methods could heat the human body instead of the environment? How can astronauts keep their hands dry during space flight? Could a sensing garment help to identify and monitor health issues?
With backgrounds ranging from aerospace engineering to fashion design, students in the WTL are working together to find answers to these questions.
An assistant professor in the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel, Holschuh also serves on the graduate faculty of the Department of Human Factors and Ergonomics and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics. Please register and join us for this Zoom webinar.
—Suzanne Bardouche, UMRA Program Committee
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