the University of California (San Diego, USA) plans in the near future to produce clothes that can adjust to be comfortable for its owner temperature. A team of engineers from the University has already received a grant for $2.6 million from the us Agency for research in the field of energy. Scientists hope that with the help of their developments can significantly reduce the consumption of energy required for additional heating or cooling of buildings and houses.

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the University of California (San Diego, USA) plans in the near future to produce clothes that can adjust to be comfortable for its owner temperature. A team of engineers from the University has already received a grant for $2.6 million from the us Agency for research in the field of energy. Scientists hope that with the help of their developments can significantly reduce the consumption of energy required for additional heating or cooling of buildings and houses.

the project under the leadership of distinguished Professor of nanoengineer Joseph Wang is called ATTACH (in decoding and translation — Adaptive textile technology with active cooling and heating). It involves the development of clothing that would regulate a comfortable temperature around their owners. Thus, the team of scientists hopes that at least 15% to reduce energy consumption in residential houses and administrative buildings.

"If the room is just one or two people, to heat or cool the whole thing financially inefficient. If it could be done in a local manner (as, for example, in vehicles where you can just turn on the seat heater, and do not heat the entire car), people would save a lot of energy", — Professor Wang notes.

To do this, the researchers propose to use in clothing optional heating and cooling units, called thermoelectronics. You can print to printers, and their placement on the fabric will be made in a special way. Using thermoelectronic it will be possible to regulate the temperature in parts of the body: back, legs, etc. Thus, "smart clothes" will be a personal air conditioners and heaters.

according to the researchers, thermoelectronic will be able to get the power from batteries and biofuel cells, which will collect energy from human sweat. Elements of the wardrobe of the new generation will be the same light as traditional clothing. The developers will pay the design — it will be modern and stylish. Also prominent is the issue of price: it must be acceptable to the people.