• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2023

Following ISO 20471, in this study, first, two sets of safety clothes and safety vests were made by designing and attaching animal and bird patterns preferred by children to retroreflective films and black fabrics on those fluorescent fabrics and retroreflective materials prescribed by international standards. Second, by mounting a smart photonic device on the safety clothing so that the body can be recognized from a distance even without an ambient light source at night, children can emit three types of light depending on the situation with just one-touch of the button. From a result of comparison with visibility a day and night by dressing a mannequin in the made smart safety clothing, the difference in visibility was evident at night, it was confirmed that we can see the figure of a person even at a distance of approximately 70 m. Therefore, it is expected to contribute to the prevention of traffic and other accidents on the road, as the drivers driving at night or in bad weather can recognize a person from a distance. Third, in case of the energy is exhausted and cannot maintain the stability of the light-emitting function of the optical faber, we can use energy harvesting device, and the light-emitting time will be extended. As a result it comes up to emit light stably for a long time. And this prove that smart photonic safety clothing can also be used for night workers. Therefore, optical fiber safety clothing is expected to be highly wearable not only in real life but also in dark industrial sites due to stable charging by applying the energy harvesting provided by solar cells.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.87-100
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• 2012

Smart wear integrates computing technology into fabric or a garment for additional functionality. This research explored the attitudes and opinions of the use of smart wear from the viewpoint of caregivers. Thirty two individuals including care providers of children and adult family members with health problems participated in focus group interviews. Participants reported being interested in smart wear because of the potential to detect the location (GPS) of a dependent (e.g., child, elderly) and to monitor vital signs. Participants indicated perceived advantages of smart wear such as identifying geographical location and effectiveness. Perceived concerns mentioned were privacy/security issues and accuracy of data. Participants taking care of dependents without a specific disease were hesitant to adopt and pay for smart wear. However, caregivers of elderly individuals expressed positive adoption intentions and willingness to reasonably pay for smart wear. They indicated expectations that potential insurance would provide coverage for cost savings. Caregivers expressed the need of specific requirements for future adoption such as customizability, and comfort/safety. Specific to smart wear clothing, most respondents preferred it be an undershirt or a jacket with a sensor located in the shoulder area. The findings from this study can be used in product development, promotion and marketing of smart wear.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.110-122
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• 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic increased people's time at home and caused an 80% increase in noise disputes between floors. The purpose of this study is to propose suitable materials for making indoor shoes (insoles) to minimize noise between floors. Subjects without back pain and leg-related disease (e.g. arthritis, etc.) from three different age groups (childhood, adolescence, and adulthood) were recruited for the study. Five polymer insole materials were considered: Chloroprene Rubber (CR foam), Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM foam), Natural Latex foam, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA foam), and Polyurethane (PU foam). From these materials, 20 combinations were prepared and randomly tested for noise and vibration. The results revealed a significant difference in noise and vibration levels based on the type of material used and the age of the subject. Nevertheless, all materials under consideration successfully reduced noise and vibration; in particular, type A-C greatly decreased. The CR foam material was especially effective at noise and vibration reduction (p<.01). This study suggests that adding insoles into socks that children wear at home could reduce noise vibration and disputes between floors.