Computerizing clothing at Tech Sensors and wires woven into clothing are opening a world of possibilities as researchers have discovered through ongoing studies at Virginia Tech.

Tech professors Tom Martin and Mark Jones have been working in a Torgersen Hall laboratory to advance the studies of electronic textiles (e-textiles) for the past six years.

"If everything turns out the way I want, you'll have this ability to put on a normal garment and do something you couldn't do without it," Martin said.

One of the primary pieces they have built, dubbed the Hokie Suit, can sense the gait of the person wearing it, and is then able to detect change in speed and direction of motion.

The wearer is able to move around naturally in the suit and the wires and sensors are woven in as part of the fabric. The sensors can then be removed and the suit with the wires can be washed. The steel used in the suit is so lightweight and fluid that it appears as fabric material rather than metal.

"We can tell whether you're walking, running, standing, or sitting down," Martin said. "One student could even figure out what dance you were doing."

The Hokie Suit opens the door for an array of garments that can measure when a person is about to fall, a person's location, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and a variety of other statistics.

The data collected by the clothing will be transmitted to various computer devices, such as a monitor or screen, where the safety and well being of the person wearing the garment can be subsequently observed.

Martin and Jones are not currently working on garments that are sufficient for an individual to wear in public because they focus more on computer engineering of the e-textiles than the aesthetics.

"We're trying to figure out what the hardware and software problems are," Martin said.

He stressed his focus on the engineering aspect so that experts studying in the field of design can contribute to the advancement of e-textiles without any manufacturing problems.

"It's a really good example of what I call working in the margins with computer engineering, textile design, and garment design," Martin said. "You really have to pay attention to all three of them."

Multiple undergraduate and graduate students are also participating in the research. Justin Chong, a second year graduate student and computer engineering major, is one of five students who spend much of their time in the lab.

"Integrating censors and computers into cloth is a pretty interesting concept," Chong said. "It's not something you see every day."

Within the lab, the developers have designed a rug that lights up in different patterns when stepped on. The rug was designed for Intel, the source of some of the lab's funding. The National Science Foundation also provides a large portion of the funds for the research.

Currently they are developing the next generation of pants for the Hokie Suit. They're making a more tightly woven garment in the form of a jumpsuit so it can be worn more easily. The jumpsuit has more benefits than the pants and vest; for example, it can sense when a person is laying down. The pants in the Hokie Suit were unable to tell the difference between lying down and having legs propped up.

Meghan Quirk, another second year graduate student and computer science major, is responsible for operating the loom.

"I make all the fabrics and fabric simulations, and weave all the wires and everything directly into the fabric," Quirk said.

She agreed with Martin in that the e-textiles needed several areas of study to produce results.

"The fact that it combines so many disciplines into one, and that we can help people … I think that's really cool," Quirk said.