Graphene dress changes colour based on the wearer’s breathing
Graphene dress is the next step towards fashion-tech revolution. Graphene was first isolated in 2004 by University of Manchester scientists Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim, who won the Nobel prize in physics for their work in 2010. Scientists believe the material has thousands of potential commercial applications, including being used in aeroplanes and high-speed trains.
The designers hope the technology could eventually be used to make a dress that can be programmed to show any colour or design.
Together with scientists, fashion designers have used graphene — a Nobel-Prize winning material that’s tougher than diamonds — to give their LBD a high-tech cut.
The idea is that the lights on the smart garment change colour depending on the wearer’s emotions, analysed from how fast or slow they are breathing. The use of graphene is crucial to the whole set up as the material has really high electrical conductivity. It’s also used in conductive inks and paints for the same reason. Graphene was first isolated in 2004 by University of Manchester scientists Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim, who won the Nobel prize in physics for their work in 2010. Scientists believe the material has thousands of potential commercial applications, including being used in aeroplanes and high-speed trains.
Dr Paul Wiper, research associate at Manchester’s National Graphene Institute, said: “This is a fantastic project; graphene is still very much in its infancy for real-world applications and showcasing its amazing properties through the forum of fashion is very exciting.”
“The dress is truly one of a kind and shows what creativity, imagination and a desire to innovate can create using graphene and related two-dimensional materials.”
The dress has graphene-enhanced sensors lined throughout the garment’s top half that capture the wearer’s breathing patterns. A microprocessor that powers the dress analyzes this data, causing LED lights — placed on transparent graphene elements — on the dress to change color. Deep breaths turn the lights from purple to turquoise, while lighter ones make the LEDs switch from orange to green.
Rosella, has made creations which have been worn by the likes of Katy Perry and Nicole Scherzinger, called “the world’s first graphene dress” a new step for the fashion industry.
