Insights into sustainable solutions for personal cooling using advanced textiles and smart wearable technologies have been presented in the Science journal by Dahua Shou, an associate professor at PolyU School of Fashion and Textiles, who also serves as the associate director of the Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion and the PolyU-Xingguo Technology and Innovation Research Institute.
The research team has introduced a variety of innovative technologies aimed at mitigating the effects of extreme heat, contributing to the development of sustainable personal cooling technologies.
Among these advancements is the iActive intelligent sportswear, a concept that incorporates artificial “sweat glands” along with a liquid network designed to replicate root systems for effective sweat management.
The Omni-Cool-Dry fabric, known for its breathability and skin-like texture, features directional sweat routing and “spectrum-selective cooling” capabilities, ensuring comfort in direct sunlight. This innovative fabric can lower skin temperature by about 5°C compared to conventional materials.
Additionally, the researchers developed Soft Robotic Clothing, tailored for environments with high temperatures. This fabric contains integrated soft actuators that expand, which increases the thickness and traps air to offer adjustable insulation. With a thermal resistance range of 0.23 to 0.48 K·m²/W, this clothing maintains an inner temperature that is 10°C cooler than standard insulated apparel, even in external temperatures that can reach 120°C.
Another invention, SweatMD, is a non-invasive wearable device that efficiently directs sweat through a microfluidic system. It utilizes sensing yarns to monitor health indicators like glucose and potassium levels, delivering immediate health data regarding fatigue and hydration directly to a smartphone.
These innovations are part of an AI-ready ecosystem that combines sensors, predictive algorithms, and intelligent actuation to create tailored cooling methods. The integration of textile sensors, fibre-based cooling solutions, and on-body energy harvesters enhances the prospects for self-sustaining cooling through sustainable personal cooling technologies.
Dahua Shou emphasized, “According to the World Meteorological Organization, there is an 80% chance that at least one year between 2025 and 2029 will be the hottest on record, making personal cooling increasingly vital for well-being, health, and productivity.
“We are focused on developing intelligent, superhero-like garments that deliver on-demand adaptive cooling and clinician-like health monitoring to effectively tackle the challenges posed by extreme heat.”
