Smart wardrobe helps you dress

Researchers from the University of South Australia's Wearable Computer Laboratory have developed a garment-integrated electronic technology that can tell you what you last wore, where you've worn it, what accessories you wore with it and when you last washed it.

It can even help you choose a suitable outfit from your smart wardrobe for your next get-together with friends, according to Prof Bruce Thomas, director of the Wearable Computer Laboratory.

While this technology is not new, Thomas points out that his researchers are the first worldwide to develop smart garment management technology that works.

"Our technology includes a computerised wardrobe with electronic hangers and garments embedded with tiny electronics that enable wireless monitoring, data downloads and many other features," Thomas said.

The smart wardrobe has a touch screen on the outside and conductive metal bands spanning the hanging rail inside, with wires connecting it to a computer in the base of the wardrobe.

When electronic hangers, each with their own ID and metal connection, are placed on the rail, the metal band in the rail detects the hangers and their smart garments, which incorporate conductive material and integrated electronics.

"Through this connection the computer identifies, for example, that hanger 123 has suit 45 on it, and monitors where and when it has been worn, and even how many times it has been worn since it was last washed or dry-cleaned," Thomas said.

The system assumes that if the clothes are off the hanger for more than an hour it has been worn and that when it is placed back on the hanger it has been washed.

The wardrobe is a normal shape and size and can be installed into any bedroom — all it needs to operate is a standard power point.

When asked about how much information the system can store, Thomas replied: "The system has a full-blown PC computer attached to the wardrobe. So the amount of information is not a problem. The garments could hold up to 1 Gbyte. The wardrobe can support up to 50 garments."

He went on to say that each article of clothing has a file that holds information about the item.

Computer and information science PhD student Aaron Toney has developed an alert function that tells smart wardrobe users when garments need to be dry-cleaned.

"People often lose track of when their clothes were last dry-cleaned and how often they have been worn since then," Toney said.

"Our wardrobe monitor can record garment usage, as well as deliveries to and pickups from drycleaners."

"The technology can also help people make the most of accessorising and mixing their wardrobe. It can be connected to an autonomous fashion butler on the internet, which can suggest clothing choices for casual or formal outings with accessories to match."

The research is being undertaken by Toney and final year computer systems engineering student Wynand Marais, under the supervision of Thomas.