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Who Tests If Heat-Proof Clothing Actually Works? These Poor Sweating Mannequins

Feb 14, 2024
Learn about the use of advanced mannequins equipped with sensors and liquid supply to test heatproof clothing. Discussion on using thermomanicans to test cooling strategies and applying reflective coating to street surfaces to prevent heat absorption.
05:07

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Mannequins like Andy allow textile scientists to test clothing capable of handling extreme heat, ensuring our safety and comfort in a warming world.
  • Thermomanikins, such as Andy, help researchers understand the limits of the human body in extreme temperatures and test cooling strategies to stay safe and comfortable in hot environments.

Deep dives

Sweating Mannequins: Testing Heatproof Clothing

Thermetrics, a Seattle-based firm, has developed sophisticated mannequins like Andy to test how the human body reacts to extreme heat. As the world gets warmer, clothing designers, car manufacturers, and militaries are investing billions of dollars to develop technology that keeps people safe, comfortable, and fashionable in hot environments. Testing this gear on humans has drawbacks, such as being expensive and subjective. That's why the military began building thermomanikins, human-shaped heaters, in the 1940s to test garments for soldiers. These mannequins have evolved over time, with enhancements like internal cooling and modified sweating functions, enabling researchers to mimic the body's attempt to heat and cool itself. They can also be used to understand the limits of the body in extreme temperatures and test cooling strategies.

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