The main feature of smart clothing is that, besides protecting the body from inclement weather, it is equipped with small wireless computers that allow the person wearing
it to adapt better to the surrounding environment and react to it. It also includes devices
such as microphones, telephones, digital cameras, GPS direction-finding
system and sensors that allow the person to communicate with other individuals wearing the same kind of clothing as well as hook up with
the rest of the world via the Internet.

The origin of the technology goes back to the early 1990s when it began to be studied by such prestigious entities as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Frauhofer German Electronics Institute (creator of the MP3 music format) and the European Space Agency (ESA). MIT was the pioneer in incorporating Remembrance Agents - small devices that collect data from the person's surroundings and store the information in its memory to have it available in real time and at any time.

Smart textiles are also autonomous. For instance, fabric is being developed with cobber wires that work with the energy generated by the human body. So it needs no batteries. The fabric then supplies that energy to the small devices incorporated into it.

Myriad applications
Sports, the military, cosmetics and health are some of the fields where smart clothing has already  begun to be used. The examples are varied. The ESA has developed a cooling
suit for Formula 1 mechanics working for the McLaren team. Nike is developing athletic shoes that allow two persons to communicate when they hold hands. It works via a small computer installed in the instep. The same manufacturer has integrated MP3 and other digital components in its athletic wear, as well as a watch-telephone made by Motorola and Swatch.

Pioneer has unveiled a jacket whose sleeve features a mini-computer for carrying around a personal planner, checking maps and lists of restaurants. It also has an audio player.

In a bid to detect health abnormalities and know the condition of the person at all times, Philips has developed wireless technology which, thanks to electrodes slipped into brassieres, underwar or belts, monitors vital signs and stores data in its 64 megabytes of memory for up to three months.

Scientists at Cornell University in the United States have designed a jacket that adjusts to the outside temperature. It activates to provide heat when the temperature goes down and lights up at night. In a similar way, jackets made by Polartec - garments developed by MIT -- feature heat panels that activate with rechargeable batteries in very cold temperatures. The British department store chain Marks & Spencer is developing a chip called 'think tank' that transforms garments into clothes that speak. Thus, a jacket can tell the wearer what shirt goes well with it or what kind of care it requires. Lingerie manufacturers like Triumph are experimenting with underwar with microcapsules that prevent appearance of varicose veins and celllulitis.

Intelligent catwalks
This kind of clothing is not yey sold at the retail level. The main venues for unveiling it are fashion shows. Late last year Barcelona held a show that featured 35 smart garments which, besides protecting against exctreme temperatures, detect health changes, communicate sensations of danger and regulate medicine such as that taken for diabetes. Also presented were jackets with GPS systems that activate in event of an accident or a person getting lost, or anti-violence garments that are highly resistant and withstand a stabbing or even a gunshot. Paris and Berlin have also held shows of this kind with smart garments. They were called the i-Wear Fashion Show.

Technological novelty
Sony-Ericsson Z200 cell phone
Available in different finishes such as red, blue velvet or white ice, this cell phone offers a daring shell-like design with a handle on the back that allows you to hang it around your neck with the leash it features. It has a complete set of  features with a 4,096-color screen, five-point navigation command, 4.5 hours of conversation and 200 hours while waiting and a wide variety of sound with 40 polyphonic melodies. As for its style, it has an auxiliary external screen shaped like an analogue watch and a variety of interchangeable shells that come in attractive colors.
Retail Price: 225 �