TouchTec used in alpine leather gloves
A new technology which allows leather gloves to mimic human touch in order to enable use with touch-screen device has been adapted by several glove manufacturing companies, including those which make gloves for snowsports.
US-based GLT Technovations introduced the patent-pending TouchTec technology for leather and textiles in 2009. TouchTec enabled leather was originally designed for, and tested by, the US military and first responders, and has now been adapted by snowboard companies (including Burton and Celtek) and fashion brands (including Fownes Brothers and Company, Gaspar Gloves and Grandoe Corp).
“It can be a significant inconvenience having to take your gloves off every time you want to use a touch screen; in cold climates the inconvenience is even higher as your finger tips quickly freeze,” said Jerry Leto, inventor of TouchTec. “Many of us do a lot more texting, emailing and use a variety of applications on our mobile phone and tablet devices these days. When you have to expose you fingers to bitter cold, or have to take your gloves off to make a phone call or use a mobile application, the inconvenience is not only challenging, but distracting and can even be dangerous.”
Although introduced two years ago, this is the first time the technology is being used in ski and alpine gloves.
“Instead of adding something to the leather that will simulate the touch of skin on a screen, TouchTec employs a nanotechnology process, which, at its most basic, can be described as microscopic “robots” within the leather of the glove that give it the feel of skin when in contact with a touch screen. And it doesn’t just work in the fingertips — any part of the leather will react with a touch screen,” said GLC.
