The project DailyST – Smart Textiles as a Daily Routine, financed by the European Community and the Lombardy Region within the framework of the Fashiontech Call for Proposals, has come to an end.
DailyST – Smart Textiles as a Daily Routine is a project of ComfTech, MediaClinics and Shifton, with the participation of Fondazione Politecnico di Milano.
The synergic collaboration between the three companies led to the realisation of smart textile systems, designed together with users and their caregivers, to assist them in their daily routine with maximum comfort.
At every stage of the project, particular attention was paid to inclusiveness and sustainability.
The design choices were dictated by the desire to promote respect for the environment along the entire supply chain: from the choice of materials, to the production processes, to the consumption cycle and the product’s end of life.
Smart overglove for women with lymphoedema
The first system is a smart overglove for women with lymphoedema following mastectomy or quadrantectomy.
This condition frequently affects the upper limb following cancer surgery and is due to a slowing or blockage of the lymphatic circulation.
Thanks to the textile sensors integrated in the overglove and the electronic device that is always connected to the smartphone app, the system is able to measure changes in the circumference, volume and activity level of the arm affected by lymphoedema.
The data collected is sent to the platform for healthcare professionals, allowing the creation of a history of the evolution of the pathology that can also determine the effectiveness of the therapy.
The Human-centred Design approach allowed us to structure an agile process capable of keeping the real needs of the beneficiaries and other stakeholders indirectly involved – relatives, spouses, doctors and therapists – at the centre of the design throughout all the phases of the project (from conception to development), to co-design and test together with them a solution capable of responding to the real needs mapped.
Smart singlet for seniors with cognitive impairment
The second system developed is a smart singlet for the elderly in the early stages of cognitive impairment. The condition causes the loss of one or more intellectual faculties and can lead to mental confusion, memory problems, disorientation, depression and anxiety.
Thanks to the textile sensors integrated in the garment and the electronic device connected to the smartphone app, the system is able to detect heart rate and respiratory rate, which, once processed within the app, make it possible to calculate the stress index and movement level.
The purpose of the monitoring is in fact to recognise difficult moments such as anxiety and loss in order to mitigate them with multimedia content played by the app. All data collected by the system are sent to and stored in the platform developed for healthcare professionals.
In addition to the ability to monitor the well-being of the care recipient, the platform also makes it possible to locate the elderly person in order to avoid excessive wandering.
Thanks to an agile process designed following the principles of Human-centred Design, we collected the needs of the beneficiaries and their caregivers (family, friends, doctors and professionals). This qualitative research phase was followed by a design phase in which – together with the people already involved in the previous step – we devised solutions to the most pressing needs that emerged from the research. The process ended with prototyping in which the features of the designed solutions were tested, improved, redesigned or rejected depending on the elements that emerged and the information gathered.
Smart top for sportive over 55
The third system developed is a smart top for sportspeople over 55, who practice regular physical activity with a view to healthy ageing and wish to do so safely.
The project involved the Maxibasket Milano Over 55 amateur sports team.
Thanks to the textile sensors integrated in the top and the electronic device always connected to the smartphone app, the system is able to assess the athletes’ performance during training and games, monitoring them over time.
The parameters measured by the system are heart rate, breathing rate and body movement. All the data collected is processed and visualised via the app and the dedicated portal, both by the athlete and the trainer.
The design approach has placed the needs of the athletes at the centre throughout all the phases (from conception to development), allowing us to co-design and test together with them a solution capable of responding to the real needs that emerged.
