next stop vegas!

That's right, I will be attending the IFAI Expo in October, specifically for the E-Textiles symposium.

There are a handful of talks geared toward the state of the market (most notable Eleksen). I am hoping that the talks are not all fluff and that a good bit of insight can be drawn from the talks. Since one of the biggest challenges in moving away from discrete electronics lies in the processing and power, it would be great to see more talks on these subjects. Solicore will talk about flexible power sources

Which I think will be key in the future -- solar can only offer so much and conventional batteries are bulky and heavy. There are other companies in this arena such as ITN Energy Systems and Superior Micro Powders. If you are attending the show/symposium drop us a line and let us know!!

OR Show = Eye Opening (revised)

So in walking the floor of the OR Show last week I was hoping to see a lot of cool products featuring smart-fabrics or some e-textiles...but there was very few to say the least. I saw a couple of jackets with iPod controllers, some PV bags, and one or two heating garments -- but that is all. Granted, this was the "summer" show so I would expect to see more at the "winter" show in January. However, in getting to talk to some of the companies it became clear that a lot still has to be done on the S&T side and manufacturability before the price points on these types of products can be lowered. Westcomb had a couple of iPod jackets with soft-shell configurations, but they were VERY expensive.
(upwards of $400!!...A more extensive review can be found here)

So here is my question: What will it take to bring down the price on these products? I'm thinking it isn't so much the electronics (although that is a big portion) as much it is the makeup of the garments they're integrated into (Gore, Event, etc) -- I believe the way the market stands now, only the high end pieces can absorb the added labor/materials involved in the electronics integration...

OR Show

If you have the means, I highly suggest attending the Outdoor Retailer Show starting Thursday in Salt Lake City.

I plan on attending and I will post a brief review of interesting products, trends, and people that I see at the show. I think there is a small fee (~$30) or something if you're not a buyer. More to follow...

Change is Good

My how my view has changed...I gave a talk last year at SmartFabrics 2006 on Large Area Antennas and the "Cognitive Body Suit" idea that was being kicked around DARPA at the time. If you had the chance to see my talk, it sounded a bit preachy -- but I still agree with the general message of "pull based on applications and user needs rather than tech push." I'm also still optimistic about the potential for electrotextiles and smart-fabrics in general.

However, having had first-hand experience with end-users, the acquisition process, and the DoD's overall beaurocracy I have a slightly more pessimistic view of the future direction for the technology. Mainly, I no longer believe that the military can be a market-driver for electrotextiles or smart-fabrics. Secondly, some of the proposed applications in my talk were extremely naive in hindsight (MANPACK and FFW kind of stuff).

I am excited to see some of the newer products hitting the market and I am still extremely optimistic...but am I the only one? What's your take?