Myant launches SKIIN smart clothing platform

Myant Inc., a Toronto-based innovation hub for designing developing and producing wearable tech products, launched its SKIIN  smart clothing platform at CES in Las Vegas this month. 

SKIIN is a digital intelligent interface designed to connect the wearer to “self, others, IoT and AI,” according to Myant founder and CEO Tony Chahine. Designed to interact with the ‘age of information’, SKIIN textiles provide a bidirectional connection between the user’s body and the world around them. Like a second skin, this new textile computing platform can read, record, analyze and respond to the user’s needs.

“We became aware of the fact that technology was increasingly not inclusive, many people did not have the ability to benefit from it. We wanted to create an ambient interface to provide access to the marginalized segment of the population, like children and some elderly people,”Chahine says. “We believe that the advancement of technology should revolve around humans. SKIIN was created with that idea in mind.”

Chahine says the launch of SKIIN represents a paradigm shift as the comfortable form factor will profoundly affect many industries. In Healthcare, for example, SKIIN can deliver increased compliance – opening up the possibilities of remote monitoring and virtual therapy, or by simply allowing for continuous and anticipatory data. The automotive, aerospace, insurance and financial industries will also benefit from this new digital presence, according to Chahine.

SKIIN products are designed with a diverse sensor and actuator mix that enables the wearer to gain ‘holistic insight’ into their physical and mental state. SKIIN is the first product that, being comfortable and washable, is truly wearable. This will allows for the option of a 24-hours a day, 7 days a week connection.

“Given SKIIN is integrated directly in the clothing, it has the potential to be adopted by 100% of the global population, connect to 100% of the body, 100% of the time,” says Chahine. “SKIIN garments can help the wearer in a variety of ways – helping them obtain better sleep, control their stress and help their overall physical and mental health, and that’s just the beginning.”

The company’s first SKIIN products, smart underwear and smart bras, are designed with six sensors that allow the wearers to comfortably track daily activity, sleep and stress levels – and to connect their body to other smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Some benefits for the wearer include:

• Better Sleep – SKIIN brings some of the technology of a sleep lab to the wearer’s everyday life, helping understand changes during the sleep stages throughout the night. SKIIN can also control the connected environment (ie. thermostats, lighting, etc.) while the user is sleeping.
• Stress Management – By using a combination of sensors, SKIIN identifies whether wearers are stressed, focused or calm – allowing them to gain insights to optimize their day, increase productivity and practice techniques to improve their mental health.
• Activity Tracking – By providing an accurate ECG, tracking activity throughout the day, and monitoring hydration, the wearer is able to maximize fitness potential, as well as lifestyle objectives.

SKIIN can detect six unique activity classifications, including posture, walking, running, sitting/standing, laying down – with more to come.

“By simply wearing SKIIN garments, your Nest thermostat will adjust to your temperature, your Philips Hue lights will change according to your mood, your smart lock will unlock according to your unique biometric signature, or a calming Spotify playlist will come on when you’re stressed,” Chahine adds. “These are just a few of the ways that SKIIN can interact with the devices that you already have in your home.”

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About Myant
Founded in 2010, Myant employs an interdisciplinary team of over 80 people at its 80,000 sq. ft. facility in Toronto. The facility is an end-to-end textile supply chain with a state-of-the-art 3D digital fabrication and robotic knitting division, a printed electronic lab, a traditional cut and sew operation, and significant proprietary technologies. In addition, Myant has exclusive and strategic relationships with the world’s top knitting machine manufacturers and yarn makers, as well as other industry suppliers.

SKIIN.com