By: Marina-Elena Wachs

Abstract

The Intelligence of smart materials has to be accepted by the user. There has to be the possibility of identification with wearable electronics to see a sense in using clothes, which seems to be not completed with respect to the medical and the cleaning aspects. Representatives from the clothing industry at the avantex-symposium in Frankfurt 2005 mentioned that there is a lack of demand of such clothing.

Another example is the surface of the porcelain called "touch!" from the enterprise khala. The user doubted about the durability of the smooth part of the porcelain, which has a character of velvet. Functional objects have to take care for example for the radiation proof and a secure handling. Consumer wants to have confidence in functions like the durability of smart materials. First conclusion about the criteria to handle with new materials is to have confidence in materials and in the promise, what they seem to give. Second the people who develop smart materials have to mediate between the materials and the consumer.

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This paper was presented at the Ambience '08-International Scientific Conference on Smart Textiles- Technology and Design (Courtesy: The University College of Bors, (CTF, The Swedish School of Textiles), Sweden