Smart fibre for hiding hunters used in wetsuits
A New Zealand business has teamed up with a US company to develop performance enhancing fabric which blocks electromagnetic radiation, making it difficult for animals to detect nearby humans.
The fabric, which was initially developed to make it easier for hunters to stalk their prey, is now being used in wetsuits.
New Zealand-based clothing importer and distributor, FOB Direct, was approached by US company Human Energy Concealment Systems (HECS) to develop the technology into a fabric which could be used in hunting suits. The fabric was one year in the making and an additional fabric has also been developed for the inner linings of wetsuits.
FOB Direct designed the fabric, which is crisscrossed with carbon fibre grids to reduce electromagnetic fields by up to 95%.
Warren Bird, founder and owner of FOB Direct, set up a sister company in China two years ago to manufacture clothing, such as swimwear, t-shirts and denim items which form the core of his business. It makes the carbon fibre fabric and suits and exports them to the US.
Since June 2010, 7000 hunting suits have been shipped to the US. The company aims to export 20,000 to the US during 2011.
The company manufactures two types of HECS technology fabric: camouflaged hunting fabric, which is made from polyester; and carbon fibre. The wetsuit lining comprises spandex, nylon and carbon fibre.
Mr Bird said he was working with the US Department of Defence to develop a wetsuit for the Navy Seals that would greatly reduce sharks detecting divers.
The fabric is also being tested by cardiovascular surgeons in the US, to see if it will prevent the interference of electromagnetic radiation emitting from the different machines in the operating theatres.
