Innovations & technologies

The Military Is Pouring Money into Smart Fabrics, But There’s a Holdup

The Pentagon is funding high-tech textiles that could that could make soldiers’ uniforms part of a network of sensors, and researchers at the University of Central Florida are among the groups who want to create them.


Earlier this month, the Defense Department announced plans to contribute $75 million to a textile technology research effort, hosted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and led by 89 industry and academic partners including UCF.

Nextgov spoke with Ayman Abouraddy, one of the UCF scientists working on one of that program’s flagship projects, about why hi-tech fabrics are the next big thing in wearables. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.