By Josh Perry, Editor [email protected]
KJUS, a Swiss sportswear manufacturer, recently presented a new ski jacket that actively pumps sweat from the inner clothing out through the jacket, thanks a to a user-controlled membrane incorporating HYDO_BOT technology developed in partnership with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) in Dübendorf and the Swiss company Osmotex.
During winter sports, the body produces a lot of moisture. Nevertheless, new functional clothing ensures a pleasantly warm and dry microclimate. (KJUS)
According to a report from Empa, people produce up to a liter of sweat per hour while skiing and this moisture gets trapped by clothing. Removing the moisture makes it easier for people to cool down and also use less energy to stay warm on the mountain.
HYDRO-BOT includes two functional membranes in the back of the jacket (where the most sweat accumulates).
“The technology consists of three layers: a membrane of billions of pores per square meter surrounded by an electrically conductive fabric,” the report explained. “By means of a small electrical impulse, the pores turn into micro-pumps that actively conduct moisture away from the body quickly and efficiently. The jacket is extremely easy to switch on and off using the integrated control unit or the iPhone & Android app.”
The research for this membrane technology has been ongoing for 10 years. It is 10 times more efficient than normal jackets and is resistant to freezing temperatures.
“The new membrane technology solves one of the biggest challenges in the ski and sportswear sector: breathability and the problems that inevitably occur when a skier sweats at sub-zero temperatures while wearing warm, waterproof clothing,” the article continued. “Ski jackets with normal membranes cannot transport moisture away from the body quickly enough, especially in colder outdoor temperatures, because the breathability of normal membranes quickly diminishes.”
Learn more about the technology in the video below:
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