SMART ePANTS Program Launched by the US Government To Develop Network-Connected Textiles

Clear exchange of information has always been an integral part of military operations. With the advancement of military technologies, soldiers may now be able to communicate with their colleagues or talk to their families at home through their clothes.

Wearable Sensor System

Last August, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) announced the launch of a program dubbed Smart Electrically Powered and Networked Textile Systems (SMART ePANTS). IARPA is the agency that handles research and development for the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

In early 2022, IARPA issued a Request for Information (RFI) to propose developing active smart garments to keep soldiers safe by sensing, processing, and communicating information on their location and physical surroundings. In July of that year, program director Dr. Dawson Cagle explained the project's goal involving four established technologies: sensors, power sources, interconnects/ haptics, and computers/ storage. SMART ePANTS aims to take all those components and convert and integrate them into a single device that can be worn.

This year, the project has moved forward with contracts awarded to MIT, Leidos, SRI International, Nautilus Defense, and Areté. According to an IARPA spokesperson, their goal is not to extend a phone's interface but to weave the components into the garments itself.

The program, whose name was chosen to be memorable and descriptive, aims to provide clothes with the ability to capture video, audio, and location data. However, IARPA also expects the SMART ePANTS to offer flexible consumer benefits as it utilizes washable computing components instead of wearable sensors.

In creating their product, IARPA expects to encounter technical challenges such as wiring and interconnecting resistance against stretching and bending, textile-suited power sources, functional user interfaces, and data storage that can be placed on a garment substrate. Nevertheless, the agency is confident their project can be achieved within three and a half years.

Most active smart textiles (AST) research studies focus on individual technical components. SMART ePANTS aims to make a difference by building fully functional sensor systems comfortably integrated into garments.

Sensor Technology in the Textile Industry

A sensor is an instrument used to detect and measure changes and transmit the information to a controlling device. It is usually a converter for measuring physical quantity and converting it into a signal that an observer or an electronic instrument can interpret. With the advancement of technology, sensors have become wearable in the form of smart electronic devices worn on the body or as part of one's clothing.

Textiles have become an ideal choice as platforms for wearable devices since they are lightweight, flexible, and can be worn anywhere in various forms. This type of textile, which demonstrates electronic capabilities, is called electronic textiles (e-textiles). Depending on their type and application, E-textiles can be used for data processing, sensing, actuation, and energy storage or generation.