Our soldiers not only save our country but our lives too at the risk of theirs. Out to give them a protective cover, Dr L Ashok Kumar, Professor in the EEE department of PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, has developed wearable electronics.

It is the Defence Research and Development Organisation that mainly works on defence system and undertakes designs for different equipment. It is funding the development of wearable electronics.

Ashok Kumar told The Covai Post: “Wearable electronics or textronics or textile electronics is mostly done for defence purposes which turn golden hours into platinum minutes.”

Very few of these kinds of electronics materials are seen in the world. The shirts are made with special fibres and electric jacquard which are comfortable like normal shirts. They have electronic circuits inside it and can be dry-cleaned. These shirts have sensors inside which act in an intelligent way. In combat situations communication is required with the soldiers which can be made possible with these garments. Chemical rechargeable batteries are placed inside the smart pants and the smart shoes.

“Tele-intimations garments are made with plastic optical fibre which can locate the bullets inside the soldier’s body. Bullet wound signals are transmitted to the soldier monitoring station at the remote end, monitored with an observer with special software which contains the soldier’s physical and biological data along with the current wound status.

“Communication between the soldier and the remote location is vital in saving the life of the soldier which can be made possible with the tele-intimation garments,” he says.

Ashok Kumar has also developed smart shirts, smart pants, smart shoes, illuminated clothing, electronic jerkin, sound activated T-shirts, light up T-shirts, solar caps and bag. He is now developing more such guards.