THE NEXT BIG THING?

Who needs pockets? Thanks to a new fabric developed by Swiss scientists, cellphones, tablets, and other electronic devices may soon be woven directly into clothing, said Chris Wickham in Reuters​.com. By mimicking “the way tendons connect to bones,” the polyurethane-based material is flexible enough to stretch without breaking but stiff enough to protect delicate circuits. The material “could revolutionize devices from smartphones and solar cells to medical implants.” A Massachusetts start-up has used similar technology for a “flexible skullcap that monitors impacts to the head during sports.” The Swiss researchers say their product can also be used for artificial cartilage. “The vision is that you will be able to make materials that are as heterogeneous as the biological ones,” said André Studart of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.