Here’s a smart shirt that can monitor your heart rate – Times of India

Smart clothing may be the next big thing in wearable technology. Rice University lab has developed a smart shirt that can measure heart rate by using conductive nanotube thread. The Brown School of Engineering lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Matteo Pasquali sewed nanotube fibers into athletic wear to monitor the heart rate and take a continual electrocardiogram (EKG) of the person wearing the shirt.
The fibers are just as conductive as metal wires, but washable, comfortable and far less likely to break when a body is in motion, according to the researchers. “The shirt has to be snug against the chest,” said Rice graduate student Lauren Taylor, lead author of the study. “In future studies, we will focus on using denser patches of carbon nanotube threads so there’s more surface area to contact the skin.”
As per a statement to the media, the researchers noted nanotube fibers are soft and flexible, and clothing that incorporates them is machine washable. The fibers can be machine-sewn into fabric just like standard thread. The zigzag stitching pattern allows the fabric to stretch without breaking them.
Interestingly, the fibers provided not only steady electrical contact with the wearer’s skin but also served as electrodes to connect electronics like Bluetooth transmitters to relay data to a smartphone or connect to a Holter monitor that can be kept in a user’s pocket. Also, the fibers woven into fabric can also be used to embed antennas or LEDs, according to the researchers.
Minor modifications to the fibers’ geometry and associated electronics could eventually allow clothing to monitor vital signs, force exertion or respiratory rate.