Environment-friendly hi-tech fashion
The MICRO-DRESS project combined fashion with technology to create stylish, functional garments manufactured according to the principles of sustainability. The consortium comprised small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), prominent EU institutes, and leading textile and clothing groups. Work was based on two distinct business models: the extension of an existing customisation model of an international brand, and the expansion of an innovative mass customisation model targeted at SMEs, known as 'micro-factories'. The benefits of mass customisation are that it combines the personalisation of custom-made products with the flexibility and cost efficiency of mass production. Project partners developed rapid manufacturing techniques that enabled microelectronic components to be printed directly onto selected environment-friendly fabric. This involved the integration of solar cells, electronically conductive layers and light-emitting diodes into the garment. A 'kinetic' jacket containing motion-tracking sensors was developed together with medical partners to allow the remote monitoring by physiotherapists of elderly people with rehabilitation needs. MICRO-DRESS partners also developed a removable smart card system that allows messages to be sent to recipients, such as notification of phone calls and texts, while they were in a secure area. Logistics-related algorithms and web tools were developed to enable customers to choose the devices and the degree of environment friendliness of production processes along the supply chain (referred to as 'yarn to garment'). Consortium members also developed and designed an 'e-supply chain management platform' to model the sourcing of e-devices. Addressing health and safety issues associated with the manufacturing process, partners developed new cost-effective biosensor-based screening. The tests are expected to revolutionise detection of potentially toxic compounds found in azo dyes and pigments. MICRO-DRESS represents a significant step forward in the application of mass customisation and in the integration of microelectronics into fabric, while reducing the garment industry's environmental impacts.
Keywords
Garment industry, manufacturing, mass customisation, microfactory, kinetic jacket, smart card, environment-friendly
