We, and our animal friends, might soon be wearing smart clothing that can monitor medical and mental health issues. Wearing such clothing can wirelessly relay information about cardiac health, mood swings, and academic performance - just to name a few.
Awake, asleep, at home, work or school, this technology is limitless. How about smart blankets that can monitor respiration for newborns? Or clothing that can monitor gait changes in the elderly? Special shirts that track the oxygen levels of Firefighters as they battle a blaze? Or the adrenaline flow of a person with Panic Disorder?
For more on the smart clothing trend read here.
WILHELM, F., PFALTZ, M., & GROSSMAN, P. (2006). Continuous electronic data capture of physiology, behavior and experience in real life: towards ecological momentary assessment of emotion Interacting with Computers, 18 (2), 171-186 DOI: 10.1016/j.intcom.2005.07.001
11 comments:
that is both creepy and cool. I for one, would love to have the one for the baby. I have a friend whos baby died a few months ago of sids, and it's all i can do to be rational with my own 6 month old. That tool would alieviate alot, and let us all sleep a little easier i think.
Sounds really interesting, could be useful for non verbal people like my son who has great difficulty communicating his moods to people who dont know him.
Yep its getting closer. I had to wear a holter (I think that's what it was called) after my mini strokes, for 72 hours, it was weird and wirey. I slept with it on, thinking that I may strangle myself.
My mom's dog had to wear one last month. LOL that was kinda cute.
I find the idea of being monitored in most situations absolutely appalling, but can see useful applications if the wearer is dealing with certain health issues and it is *only* a particular health issue being monitored.
I have to agree that on the outside it seems appealing, the ability to monitor things that can be very bad in small children and senior citizens, but as a whole I don't like the idea of being monitored by my clothes!
Several years ago a blood glucose monitoring watch came out on the market. It sounds an alarm if glucose levels go too low or too high. Unfortunately, it is very large, and prohibitively expensive. :(
How interesting!
I think I watch too many spy movies...I always think these great advances could be used in not-so-good-intentioned ways.
I think something like this would be beneficial in certain cases such as where someone has an illness that requires constant monitoring and with the elderly or those who struggle to communicate - however other then this it concerns me because it is open to so much abuse.
ummmmm cant think of a comment on this one so just ummmmm
the geek in me thinks it's cool.
the freak in me thinks it's uncool.
::jeremy::
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