Slashdot Mirror
Philips Shows Light Emitting Clothing
Paul Cobbaut writes "From Physorg: Philips Research intends to impress the visitors at this year's IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung) with a world-first demonstration of promotional jackets and furniture featuring its innovative Lumalive technology. Lumalive textiles make it possible to create fabrics that carry dynamic advertisements, graphics and constantly changing color surfaces. Here is the Philips Press Release." Obviously, all Devo videos will need to be reshot using this valuabe new technology advance.
Sweet! Now I can build the perfect Tron suit that I always dreamed of! Hopefully, no one will think I'm weird when I wear it to work...
Oooh, there is one big market waiting for this. Who cares about advertising, visibility is even more important. Dayling running can be made safer with clothing that shifts geometric patterns and shifting colors. Ads on the clothing could be used to reduce the price so people actually wear it... and if not ads then perhaps some customizable imagery would be good to.
Still, the safety aspects are hard to ignore with stuff like this. If the power use is low enough then self lighting (pulsing/blinking) emergency gear would be another great application (think of aircraft seats, lifevests, etc). Get lost in the woods then at night a tent or even your jacket if woven with this material could be set to flash etc.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
As a bicycle commuter (somewhat rare in this Midwestern, Rust Belt, automotive driven state), I can see where Lumalive would be useful for safety gear. Instead of hanging a handful of 'blinkies' off the back of my bike, my whole back could be one big flashing signal. Perhaps a glowing 'slow moving vehicle' triangle of a square foot or so would be more attention-getting than what doesn't work now (lights, high-contrast clothing, evne high-viz yellow jackets don't help half the time).
You could have windbreakers with the name of a gang on them that turn black on command. Or suits that dazzle everyone letting you escape. Active camaflauge. There are so many uses of this technology.
Inventions have long since reached their limit, and I see no hope for further development.-- Frontinus, 1st cent. AD
They're not alone - try Luminex for fibre optic threads in clothes and Elekson for pressure sensitive fabrics....
You're too late
You'd better have good security if you want to avoid the "Kick Me" worm of 2008.
Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it. --Mark Twain
Maybe not. They've had enough trouble with click-fraud, that they might not want to open the 'inappropriate touching' can of worms.
Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it. --Mark Twain
The thing that concerns me most about this would be the potential application in reviving disco. Then comes roller disco and then Kryogenics is used to bring back the decesed members of the Gibb family. AND IT ALL STARTS with the sequins for the digital age.