Losing the remote is less of a catastrophe these days with TVs that can be controlled using your phone or your voice, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement: Researchers at Purdue University have developed a way to turn any fabric into a simple electronic device, so your favourite sweatpants for binge-watching Netflix could also double as a wearable remote.
It’s actually not that challenging to upgrade a piece of clothing with electronic smarts.
Google and Levis made a smartphone controlling denim jacket a few years ago, and companies like Columbia have made jackets with integrated heaters.
The problem is they always need a power source, like a battery, that needs occasional charging, and if you want to wash them, you have to temporarily strip out most of the electronic components.
In other words, unless you never spill food, don’t sweat, and ignore fashion trends, they’re rarely worth the effort.
As detailed in a recently published paper in the Advanced Functional Materials journal, the Purdue researchers have come up with an alternate approach that lets any garment of your choosing be upgraded with electronics.