smart clothes

A piece of clothing, such as a shirt, that is woven with optical fibers that can send and receive electrical impulses. The purpose is to monitor vital signs (like heart rate and breathing) for athletes or the infirmed. Smart clothes are also making appearances on Paris runways, featuring fashionable fabrics that change color in response to different lighting. Levi Strauss tried developing a jacket with an embedded cell phone and MP3 player, but apparently it didn't sell well enough to continue.

There is also the savvy development of a coat that releases heat when it detects a drop in the wearer's skin temperature. The U.S. Army is looking at this technology to potentially develop soldier's uniforms that can change colors like a chameleon. Film at 11.