As part of their Future Warrior Program, researchers are developing uniforms that will make a soldier difficult or impossible to see. Fibers in the uniform would tack in the same color, brightness, and patterns of the surroundings of the wearer. A soldier dressed in such a uniform would become nearly invisible to the enemy
The researchers at Natick are also working on portable buildings that are made of what are essentially large, high-strength textile balloons. Called air beams, these building materials would allow a team to build a structure large enough to hold airplanes in a fraction of the time a conventional metal structure would take. The largest air beams, about 0.75 meters(2.5 feet) in diameter and 24 meters(78 feet)long, are so rigid that you can hang a heavy truck from one. Yet they can be packed into a truck ten people five days by six people in just two days.
Today’s textile innovators are creating astonishing things. From Ales Soza’s artistic jacket that defies gravity to smart aprons to invisible military uniforms, high-tech textiles will soon be appearing in more and more parts of our lives. Who can foresee what these textile pioneers will dream up nest? “It’s about imagination!” says Alex Soza, with a bright look in his eye. “It’s a beautiful dream! It’s turning science fiction into scientific fact!”