This paper studies the influence of fabric's structure on the thermal and moisture management properties of knitted fabrics made of two types of yarns with thermo-regulating effect: Coolmax® and Outlast®. The main purpose of this study was the selection of the most adequate fabric, to be used in summer and winter sportswear. The results demonstrated that some properties, such as, thermal properties, diffusion ability, air and water vapor permeability are influenced by both raw material type and knitted structure parameters. Wicking ability is influenced to a greater extent by the knitted structure, while the drying ability is primarily determined by raw material and to a lesser extent by the knitted structure parameters. Outlast® fabrics are preferred candidates for warmer climate sportswear, particularly due to their lower thermal resistance, higher thermal conductivity and absorptivity, air and water vapor permeability. When considering sportswear for colder weather, Coolmax® based structures seem to be the best choice. These findings are an important tool in the design of a sportswear product tailored to the different body areas thermal and moisture management requirements.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is one of the major causes of death among infants during their sleep. To increase the safety of the infants, we matched different emergent research fields for the development of Baby Night Watch. This Smart Wearable System (SWS), developed under the context of the European Texas Instruments Innovation Challenge (TIIC) 2015, is composed by the following elements: a Wearable IoT Device, a Gateway and the H Medical Interface. The Wearable IoT Device is a wireless sensor node integrated in a Chest Belt, and it has the capacity to monitor the following parameters: body temperature, heart and breathing rates and body position. After a minimal data processing, this set of information is sent to the Gateway, via ZigBee technology, and it is accessible to the user through the H Medical Interface. If a critical event occurs, the device will trigger an alarm, visible and audible in the proximity, and sends a distress message to a mobile application. The Baby Night Watch is an important tool for medical studies, since it allows the visualization of previous physiological data and export it to different types of datasets. Experimental tests have proven that the SWS has the potential to identify situations that could be potentially life-threatening for an infant.

This paper gives an overview of technologies and results of integration and test of textile integrated sensors and electrodes for monitoring of biosignals (electrocardiographic - ECG and electromyographic - EMG), breathing and moisture. Using a seamless jacquard knitting machine, it is possible to integrate these sensors and electrodes directly into the fabrics, which can then be used in clothing for monitoring of elderly people, in sports or in hazardous occupations. The total integration of the sensing elements and connections into the garment presents great advantages in physical as well as psychological comfort of the user. It has been shown that the measurements are of adequate quality for most of the applications. In some cases, as is the case of ECG and EMG, signals acquired are similar to those obtained using conventional electrodes.

Thermo-physiological wear comfort is mainly determined by the thermal and moisture performance of clothing. Moreover, moisture is widely recognized as one of the most important factors contributing to discomfort sensations. Functional yarns with a thermo-regulating effect improve thermal and moisture performance of fabrics, but the integration of elastic yarns into the fabric structure can impair thermo-physiological wear comfort. The goal of this research was to compare, in dry and wet states, the thermal comfort properties of elastic knitted fabrics with thermo-regulating yarns, namely Viscose Outlast® and Polyester Coolmax® to better understand thermal behavioral changes due to moisture content of the fabrics. Surface moisture transfer between the fabrics and a wet skin was also assessed and enabled to evaluate the level of the unpleasant contact feeling. Air permeability that is related to the thermal behavior was also investigated. The results obtained showed that at 22% moisture content, which simulates a sweating sensation, the change in thermal properties is similar for both fabrics. Above the ‘sweating sensation’ moisture, significant differences on the thermal properties with the moisture content were registered between fabrics, Outlast® fabric being more prone to thermal properties changes due to moisture uptake than the Coolmax® one. When worn in conditions of wet skin, the unpleasant cool feeling increased for both fabrics, but the effect is more pronounced for Outlast® fabric.