Prof. Hong HU, Dr Dahua SHOU and Prof. Jintu FAN, members of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR), won two prestigious global innovation awards in the areas of materials science and biotechnology at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo 2022 - the world’s largest multi-sector event for fostering the development and commercialisation of innovations.
The award-winning innovations include a new type of more environment-friendly moisture-absorbing and sweat-releasing fabric and an automatic temperature-controllable mask. Details are as follows:
Moisture-Absorbing and Sweat-Releasing Multilayer Polylactic Acid Fabric and Manufacturing Technology (Prof. HU Hong, Institute of Textiles and Clothing)
The new fabric stands out from existing moisture-absorbing fabric technology in that its fabrication technique is simpler, cheaper, and more environment-friendly. By employing double weft knitting technology, it only takes one single manufacturing process to produce the new fabric structure with improved moisture-absorbing and sweat-releasing properties. It also has inherent biological resistance and is ideal for use in school uniforms and sportswear.
Omni-Cool-Breath: A Smart Air-Conditioned Mask (Dr SHOU Dahua, Professor FAN Jintu and Dr HUANG Guanghan, Institute of Textiles and Clothing)
Omni-Cool-Breath is the first automatic temperature-controllable mask that brings revolutionary access to all-day cool breath and thermal comfort under various activities and thermal conditions. It reduces temperature by 12°C and humidity by 65% under low voltage via an innovative miniature thermoelectric cooling system. The ergonomically designed lightweight mask uses skin-friendly and biodegradable 3D printing materials that enable the user to enjoy nine hours of clean air.
For more information of the TechConnect 2022 Innovation Awardees, please visit the official website: https://www.techconnectworld.com/World2022/participate/innovation/awards.html