• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.157-171
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• 2018

As the next generation of smartphone and tablet computers, wearable devices are currently being developed and available in market in various forms. Smart clothing is a wearable device that holds the greatest potential for future development but low in market penetration. This study was designed to identify factors that influence adoption and diffusion of smart clothing. In-depth interviews with potential consumers who were knowledgeable about and interested in smart clothing were conducted. A semantic network analysis method was used. The results showed that consumers perceived smart clothing as a garment rather than as a type of wearable device and had a positive perception of smart apparel as more convenient and advanced than functional apparel. At the same time, however, consumers had a negative perception of smart clothing as unnecessary, ugly, and injurious to health. Consumers also worried that wearing smart apparel over long periods of time would negatively impact their health. Factors affecting resistance to smart apparel included low utility, perceived risk, and lack of aesthetic completeness. Usefulness and convenience were factors that affected the acceptance of smart clothing. The innovativeness of the product was more influential than consumer innovativeness in the process of adoption and diffusion of smart clothing.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.121-129
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• 2009

Nowadays, global interest is being placed on research and development of smart clothing which is expected to create a high added-value industry in the future. The purpose of this research is to develop smart pants with vibrating massage functions that have excellent outer appearances and provide comfort to wearers and assess outer appearance, comfort, and massaging effects of smart pants. As the results of this research, smart pants where vibrating devices which are mainly composed of vibrating motor, controller, and switch are attached were completed. Vibrating motors were fixed on a thin and light non-woven fabric material, covered with a mesh material, and attached by snaps to the experiment pants. Switch was attached to the inside of a pocket, and batteries were positioned inside of pockets. Ten subjects marked their satisfaction of wearing smart pants on a 5-point scale. Noticeable changes in outer appearance when vibrating motors operate turned out to be low. Wearer's comfort in back waist and front thigh parts where vibrating motors were attached turned out to be high-satisfied. Massaging effects of smart pants turned out to be high. Attaching and detaching vibrating devices turned out to be convenient. Lining materials used for smart paints were effective in blocking electromagnetic waves generated from vibrating devices.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1392-1402
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• 2010

This research studied the development of high functional wear that reflects the various needs of an aged population. A survey of the life style, body functions and body changes, cognition, and preference of high functional wear with a subject group of 342 women aged 50's-60's was conducted. The results show that these women showed a high interest in clothing, challenged to new tasks, and enjoyed social meetings. Women aged 50's and 60's showed a relatively vibrant and active tendency, with no difference between them. They had the most interest in health and diet. The development of various clothing items and designs for women in their fifties and sixties are required because exercise was the most favored leisure activity. Meanwhile, they showed indisposition according to body type changes and the decrease in body functions. There was also some discomfort due to changes in visual power and trouble in controlling the body temperature. Therefore, the need to develop high quality smart wear that can help improve these problems was raised. Women aged 50's to 60's did not fully understand smart clothing; however, they showed some interest in high quality smart wear designed to improve health conditions after they heard detailed explanations about the clothing. They perceived the matter of laundry or managing he clothing more important than the price or rejection to mechanical device in regards to smart wear.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1022-1038
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• 2017

Wearable smart products contributed to expand the concept of modern clothing in terms of closer communication between wearers and the surrounding environment. This study investigated the concept of wearable smart actuators and characteristics of actuating feedback. The representative product development trends over the past 10 years are examined based on the method of actuating feedback. A first keyword search from Naver and Google reused to select the final 58 products based on the second key keyword actuating feedback. The wearable smart actuator system works in a similar way to a human body system such as those of the information processing process. Actuating feedback is delivered directly to the user as the last signal of the system, which has visual, auditory and tactile feedback. It works in complex at the device to be delivered to the user. Actuator feedback is divided into three types of active and passive, depending on the user situation, the overall purpose of the product, the collected information, and the device dependency. Active actuating feedback determines and actuates the situation on behalf of the user when the user is in an emergency or a disability situation. Passive actuating feedback plays a role in environmental monitoring to help in a healthy daily life.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.138-145
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• 2022

Today, graphene loaded textiles are being considered promising smart clothing due to their high conductivity. In this study, we reported reduced graphene oxide(r-GO) deposited pure cotton fabrics fabricated with a colloidal solution of graphene(GO), using a one-step aerosol spray pyrolysis(ASP) process and their potential application on smart textiles. The ASP process is advantageous in that it is easily implementable and can be applied for continuous processing. Moreover, this process has never been applied to deposit r-GO on pure cotton fabric. The field emission-scanning microscopy (FE-SEM) observation, Fourier transform-infrared(FT-IR) analysis, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis, and ultraviolet transmittance(UVT) were used to evaluate material properties of the r-GO colloids. The resistance was also measured to evaluate the electrical conductivity of the specimens. The results revealed that the r-GO was successfully deposed on specimens, and the specimen with the highest electrical conductivity demonstrated an electrical resistance value of 2.27 kΩ/sq. Taken together, the results revealed that the ASP method demonstrated a high potential for effective deposition of r-GO on cotton fabric specimens and is a prospect for the development of conductive cotton-based smart clothing. Therefore, this study is also meaningful in that the ASP process can be newly applied by depositing r-GO on the pure cotton fabric.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2023

The smart fashion industry is showing steady growth worldwide, which will create new value throughout the fashion industry and become an essential element for efficient lifestyles. This study attempted to examine the development trend of smart fashion products from a design perspective and present the direction of design as a fashion item incorporating smart technology from a functional perspective. For this purpose, the category of portable smart fashion and the characteristics of the research object were considered through current status survey and previous research review. Among smart fashion, accessories and clothing/fabric products that have been released thus far that apply portable fashion design principles are selected and its characteristics are analyzed. In addition, function keywords were extracted based on the product description provided by the manufacturer and the function-oriented types were classified to identify each type's design characteristics. Therefore, the area receiving the signal and the sensor size should be considered, as should the fashion accessory type that combines various materials and colors. The clothing/textile type requires a design that mainly focuses on functions related to bio-signal interactions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.872-882
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• 2017

There are no specific guidelines on how to control the heat input for the heat generating smart base layer. This study investigated the mode of actuating heat pad attached to the base layer by performing a human wear test in a cold environment. Subjects participating in the test wore T-shirts, jumper and pants on the base layer with heating pads. Skin temperature, total time of heating and the number of switching for the heating mode were observed as the subject controlled the heating mode voluntarily. The comfortable range of skin temperature on the abdomen was larger than on the lower back. The subject felt hot and turned off the switch when the mean skin temperature of the abdomen was $48.8^{\circ}C$ and the lower back was $40.1^{\circ}C$. The total heating time and the number of actuating switching were larger for women than men. The voluntary action of heating for men with high cold sensitivity was significantly different from men with low cold sensitivity. Therefore, it is necessary (depending on gender and cold sensitivity) to set the heating mode differently for the automatic heat control of a future smart base layer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.292-303
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• 2011

This research suggested a draft proposal for a smart jacket design, which has applied wearable technologies to provide convenience in daily life. The smart jacket combined with a vest was the casual item for autumn and winter. The heating device was composed of the heating element, battery, controller, electric wire, connector, switch, and charger. A stable electronic conductor fiber of good heating effect with a flexible zigzag form has been selected for the heating element. The lighting device has been made in a way that attaches the LED and its power controller in the same mechanical device. As the result of the wearing test, the heating effect turned out to be effective in the order of: back, both the back and abdomen and only the abdomen. When wearing a smart jacket, the back and abdomen have been selected as favorable body parts for heating. Pockets and hems are selected as the adequate place to attach the LED lighting, and the brightness of LED lighting has turned out to be suitable and useful. Based on the test results, the first draft proposal has attached the heating element only in the back and its controller located in the inside pocket of the vest. In addition, the LED has been attached to the front pocket of the jacket. As to the second draft proposal, heating elements have been placed in the back and the abdomen. Each controller for the heating elements has been placed in the front and inside pocket of vest, and the LED lighting has been attached to the hem of the jacket. The smart jacket combined with a wearable device was assessed by functioning categories. The user showed a high satisfaction in the heating and illuminating function of a smart jacket.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.845-856
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• 2014

This study focused on the production and usability evaluation of smart outdoor jackets that are designed to provide convenience to middle-aged people by embedding devices for lighting and location tracing. The results were as follows. 1. Jacket power supplier was a assembled system composed of battery, charger, controller and switch. A solar cell was attached on the upper arm, and a wire type EL on the center line of a raglan sleeve along with a GPS on the left sleeve with a transparent vinyl pocket. The total weight of the jacket embedded with devices was 385-520g. 2. Operation of function, activity, acceptability, safety, convenience for device use, appearance, practical maintenance were selected based on an analysis of evaluation criteria of previous smart wear research. Criteria were narrowed to three major categories of satisfaction, appearance and maintenance. 3. Use satisfaction criterion consisted of wearable device functionality and physical, psychological use convenience. The evaluation indicated actual functionality. EL functions were especially effective and necessary. Convenience of use showed that a smart jacket was thought to be safe and the size was moderate regardless of age and gender. Outer appearance was satisfactory and respondents praised the color. The practical maintenance evaluation indicated that there was no challenge in doing the laundry since the solar battery and GPS were detachable. The practical use of smart outdoor jackets confirmed by fabric that was washable and dried quickly.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.395-407
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• 2008

As global interest in clothing spreads over the smart clothing which arouses high added-value in the apparel industry, this study is to develop a smart jacket with an electrically-vibrating device maintaining excellent appearance and comfort. The vibrating device has a massage function that could relieve muscle pain near shoulders and neck. The purposes of this research are to develop jacket pattern for men in their thirties considering body shapes and fashion trend, to develop a wearable device that is composed of motor and controller and integrate it into a jacket, and to assess the external appearance and functional satisfaction of the smart jacket through the wearing test. The results are as follows: 1. In order to develope an appropriate jacket pattern for men in their thirties, several patterns were assessed for their fitting comfort. The final pattern was completed after making alterations some parts, and showed high satisfaction as 3.6(on a five-point scale) in all categories. 2. A vibrating device was developed by connecting motor, controller, battery and switch. Developing this device, focus was maximizing the strength of motor and minimizing the heat generated from motor and controller. Snaps were placed between inner and outer cloth of jacket so that the vibrating device could be easily attachable and detachable. The motor was located around Trapezius where muscles often get stiff. A switch was designed to be used in selecting the modes of Strong, Weak, and Cross Tapping. 3. The wearing test was conducted to examine outer appearance, comfort for motion, and functionality of the smart jacket. The results of assessing outer appearance showed that the location for attaching the vibrating device was not noticeable but looked natural, and there is almost no change in outer appearance when the vibrating device operates. The result of assessing comfort of action revealed that wearer's satisfaction was high in all categories about activity, wearer's comfort, etc. The result also showed that wear's satisfaction for effects of vibrating massage, easiness in using the device, heat generation was not less than 3.5 in all categories except a category about noise.