Researchers at North Carolina State University are touting a new technology that could make women in the military and firefighters more comfortable to wear.
The university's Textile Protection and Comfort Center, housed in the Wilson College of Textiles, recently purchased the university's first female “sweat mannequin” through a $1.5 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
These special mannequins will help researchers understand how people react in different environments with changes in humidity, temperature and wind. The center already had several male mannequins, which were used to test both male and female clothing.
“By using a female sweaty mannequin, we can really see the female anatomy and how that actually plays a role in terms of whether or not you have extra gear,” said Sean Deaton, associate director of the center at North Carolina State University. “We can see how different sets of clothing that women wear as undergarments interact with each other.”
Deaton said researchers would like to understand the differences between men's and women's clothing and design things that will work in any terrain.
“Women have curvier body types and generally wear more underwear than men,” Deaton says. “Underwear is generally more insulating and less breathable, so women end up retaining more heat because of the way they wear their underwear.”
