Imagine smart clothing that collects data on your movements while you exercise and provides coaching through an earpiece to improve performance in real-time. Or a revolutionary fabric that sculpts your body while remaining soft and comfortable.
These aren’t just concepts any longer, but real, tangible and successful technologies that Twinery has created with collaborators. Lumo Run is the first wearable sensor and app that acts as a portable running coach, created in collaboration with Lumo Bodytech. Silsoft, a silicone fabric designed to combine functionality, aesthetics and comfort, was developed in collaboration with a lone inventor. And now the company is seeking new concepts to bring to life with new collaborators.
The innovation arm of MAS Holdings, South Asia’s largest apparel manufacturer, Twinery is well-positioned to take the next step in the textile industry: smarter soft goods. MAS Holdings has been on the frontlines of manufacturing active, sports and intimate wear with the intent of maximizing human performance and comfort for the past thirty years. TwineryT intends to take this further by integrating intelligence into the interface human bodies are in constant contact with – fabrics – in order to enhance efficiency and ease in day-to-day life.
In turn, Twinery announced the launch of a program that invites inventors from any discipline or industry to step forward with innovative concepts: the Twinery Open Challenge. Twinery believes in humanizing technology by integrating it seamlessly into our lives through the medium of textiles. Human skin is always next to soft goods and Twinery is driving towards equipping these fabrics with the potential to enhance the human experience, pushing the functionality of fabrics further, said the company. The program is designed to connect the company with partners who have ideas to bring revolutionary new textile innovations to life.
The Twinery Open Challenge is open to individual inventors, startups, established companies, academic teams and others who have product concepts from any industry that can be applied in the soft goods and fabric sector. Twinery believes that the best innovations are born when different disciplines and industries share ideas to solve problems and create novel products.
“We don’t want to reinvent the wheel but rather use the entire world as a resource pool to identify the best talent and inventions,” says Twinery Director of Technology Sithila Dassanayake. “For innovators, this program is a great way to turn knowledge and ideas into cash. It’s also an excellent way for academics, engineers, inventors, research labs, and others with breakthrough ideas to join the community of innovators and get the resources they need to improve people’s lives with smart soft goods products.
“We’ve got the lab facilities, relationships and expertise to take innovations to market,” Dassanayake continued. “We’re convinced that solutions to problems and great new inventions are out there. The Twinery Open Challenge crowd-sources innovation to bring problem-solving products to the market faster.”
To participate, innovators can browse the open challenges Twinery regularly posts online, and if they have a solution – whether a seed concept, existing startup or developing product – they can submit an idea using a sample online form. Participants can also share ideas that aren’t related to specific challenges – any concept that utilizes technology to enhance efficiency and ease in day-to-day life is welcome.
The Current Challenges
- Wetness indicator for underwear
- Eco-friendly quick-dry material
- Comfortable labels for lace panties
- Low – grade cotton with the feel of Platinum cotton
- Swimwear for menstruation
To find out more about Twinery Open Challenge or submit an idea, visit https://openchallenge.twinery.co/
