You might just look at a jacket differently the next time around after you read all about the ColdWear project. Scandinavian research organization SINTEF is currently working on sensors and materials which are able to deliver a significant increase in performance for those who tend to work in cold and harsh climates. Known as ColdWear, this project will see the integration of such sensors in clothing, helping improve user safety without reducing comfort and work performance.
According to Øystein Wiggen, a physiologist and research scientist at SINTEF, “The average worker may be so determined to get the job done that his fingers become cold and lose their dexterity, with the result that screws are not fitted correctly, leading to increased risk level some time in the future. We may well have to use a sort of traffic-light system in such situations, in which green means ‘OK’, yellow means ‘take care’ and red indicates that ‘there is danger afoot.’” Sounds like it is worth an investment, and we do hope to see commercial availability of this project in due time.
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