AccYouRate, based in Italy, is set to begin development of a “smart t-shirt” called YouCare, incorporating textile sensors that are able to monitor and return, in real time, the biovital parameters of the individual (such as ECG and breathing level).

It’s called YouCare and the key to its success is the overcoming of the “frontier” of wearables, in which technology and clothing become one, capable of entering people’s lives and improving their quality. This innovation, totally made in Italy, is able to detect a large number of bio-vital parameters of the individual and transmit them, in an intelligent way, thanks to 5G.

The project focuses on the use of revolutionary textile devices like the T-shirt without metal components and with sensors naturally “set” into the fabric.

The textile technology, patented and certified, develops new services for the protection of health in the areas of telemedicine, work, sport, and the general well-being of an individual.
By monitoring health, stress, and active living behaviours, it improves the safety of people, of the elderly, and of the sportive people.

The bio-vital parameters of YouCare, detected by imperceptible polymeric sensors “set” in the fabric, are sent to a miniaturised control unit that records the data, converts them into digital format, and ultimately sends, thanks to 5G, to a bidirectional platform transmitting them to the user’s smartphone or smartwatch in addition to a remote unit that analyses the values with the medical software. In the future, AccYouRate is planning the development of new types of textile sensors capable of detecting additional data, such as blood sugar, oximetry and even brain waves.

AccYouRate has partnered with Chinese mobile technology giant ZTE for the development of the wearables, working out of a research centre located in L’Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. ZTE will be undergoing 5G testing from this European autumn.

YouCare enables the detection of bio-vital parameters, such as a “real” electrocardiogram, a respiratory act analysis, the components of the sweat, the muscle effort, and body temperature. The T-shirt allows the transmission, via ultra-fast 5G connection, to health centres and control, as well as to individual users.

“It is an invention that will change the life and the quality of home and remote medical assistance to many citizens experiencing health problems and vulnerable people suffering from chronic diseases, ensuring accessibility to care services and the support of our national and international network,” said Francesco Rocca, Chairman of the Italian Red Cross and IFRC.

AccYouRate is also working on additional products equipped with printed sensors, such as gloves, insoles, bands, and cuffs.