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?