Two Japanese firms, textile maker Toyobo Co. Ltd., and medical device manufacturer Union Tool, have developed a new set of undergarments made up of Toyobo’s “Cocomi” functional material. The product is claimed to be potential lifesaver for drowsy drivers and overheated construction workers as well as sports-persons.
The undergarments, when worn, can collect and transfer biological data to smartphones and other devices, triggering an alarm if the information indicates danger. The system combines an under-shirt and underwear using the Cocomi and Union Tool’s “Safe Driving Support Tool Drowsiness Notifier DSD” (DSD) drowsy driving detection system. Currently, the new system is being tested by Chunichi Rinkai Bus Co. Ltd. (Yokkaichi City).
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Explaining the technology, Toyobo said, “Existing e-textile devices for biometric monitoring generally use electrodes that are physically fixed to the garment. But these ‘Cocomi’ fabrics use thin film-like electrodes instead.”
With a thickness of only 0.3 mm, the electrodes are attached to garments by thermo-compression bonding, and are capable of stretching to roughly double in length. This means the garments also have potential in sportswear applications for monitoring performance more subtly, while they could also protect people working in hot weather from suffering heatstroke.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
