eTextiles will make the work saver for our firefighters

Scientist at the Dublin City University develop intelligent clothing for firefighters with sensors woven into the fabric.

Technologies based on the use of e-textiles with wearable sensors will monitor the heart beat, breathing rate, the level of sweat, stress and dehydration as well as the location of the men in the danger zone via GPS.

The firefighters’ jackets and boots will also be fitted with sensors able to detect the level of carbon dioxide threatening the fire fighter.

For professional clothing like for firefighters it is of great advantage to have as many data about the people on ground zero to make sure they are not getting in danger themselves but be able to save and rescue others.

Wearable, work wear integrated systems provide the benefit of being unobtrusive  as the technology does not get into the way while the sensors are close enough to the body to pick up all the required data accurately.

Dublin City University and this smart firefighter gear development is part of the ‘ProeTEX‘ project, a pan-European research effort involving 23 partners to develop innovative new ’second skin’ sensors coupled with wireless communication and GPS.

The laboratory testing of this project has been very successful and it is up to the point of finding industrial partners to carry it through the manufacturing to make it available for our fire departments as soon as possible.

[source: Irish Times]

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