Innovative apparel with automated temperature adaptation has been created by a team of researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to safeguard workers in factories and other hot situations. This “first-of-its-kind” soft robotic clothing is breathable, thermally insulated, and capable of automatically adjusting to changing outside temperatures to provide comfort and safety in extreme heat.
The study, which was directed by Dr. Dahua Shou, an associate professor at PolyU’s School of Fashion and Textiles and a Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textile Technologies, was published in the international journal Advanced Science. In order to improve protection and comfort, the apparel uses a dynamic, adaptive thermal management system with soft robotic textiles that react to temperature fluctuations.
The clothing incorporates soft actuators that are filled with a non-flammable, non-toxic fluid, akin to a human exoskeleton. The fluid vaporizes at rising temperatures, thickening the textile layers and expanding the actuators. This successfully increases thermal resistance, maintaining interior surface temperatures at least 10°C lower than those of traditional heat-resistant clothing, even at 120°C exterior temperatures.
According to Dr. Shou, this soft robotic clothing ensures constant thermal comfort by providing adaptable protection in a variety of weather situations, seasons, and working environments. Beyond the workplace, the invention may find use in activewear, winter jackets, medical clothes, and environmentally friendly insulation for building projects.
