Fashioning and ageing population: smart non-woven textiles for adaptive insulation

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"A global ageing population presents significant opportunities and challenges to individuals and society; design interventions coupled with advances in medical and assistive technologies are expected to make a significant contribution that will support full and active lives for this demographic.The creative industries are set to play a critical role in the implementation of government policy in preparation for the demographic shift brought about by a growing ageing population. Strategic priorities such as novel health care systems and social, physical, technological connectivity draw upon design, in its broadest sense, to ensure capitalisation of opportunities from new technologies by addressing barriers to uptake, sensitivity and privacy (source: Future of an Ageing Population, 2016).Within this context, design of the build environment is positioned to maximise physical mobility and lead to increased physical activity levels, better health and quality of life through the intersection of human centred design methods and advances in material/digital technologies. For example, we imagine rooms that can autonomously sense and alter their climatic and physical conditions in response to the needs of the occupants to ensure priorities such as comfort and mobility; this project widens this proposition to include garment and fashion design.This work addresses physiological discomfort caused by moisture buildup in the wearer's microclimate where current behavioural strategies for airflow and insulation adjustment (such as adding or remove layers and handling fasteners during work rest cycles) present significant challenges to individuals with limited mobility due to age or disability. Thermal and airflow properties of conventional clothing systems rely on the wearer for adjustment; the ambition is to create a new class of smart non-woven textile, significantly distinct from electronic textiles, to enhance the experience of physical activity.This project will develop a novel non woven textile capable of autonomous, physical adaptation of thermal and airflow resistance using InotekTM, a biomimetic hygroscopic staple fibre which reversibly alters its length in response to levels of moisture vapour concentration in the environment."