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The global agenda against climate change requires proactive, technological actions that will curtail the use of non-biodegradable materials in our environments. Additionally, there is need for similar actions towards protecting animals especially in the area of frequent, wool textile exploitation.These efforts will help our societies, to overcome existing socioeconomic challenges and as well, forestall life threatening issues in the future. As part of my vision to create solutions that have universal application, while addressing the needs of both wealthy and under served communities, I am proposing the creation of enhanced, affordable products used in homes and work places.      

ECOSMART TEXTILES is a design solution that will lead to the creation of smart, comfortable, eco-friendly products for homes and business locations. These products are built from both recycled and enhanced materials excluding the use of non-biodegradable synthetic materials and wool. Each product can be viewed as a system split into three major units: a collector, a detachable, storage unit and a sensor unit. 

Our primary targets include (and not limited to):

1. Reducing the continued use of non-biodegradable materials and wool in the production of floor accessories (specifically, in the production of rugs, carpets etc).

2. Promoting cleaner, healthier homes and workplaces.

3. Encourage more money saving opportunities for homes and businesses.   

For the pilot phase of this project, I will focus on building smart, eco-friendly textile solutions for common floor accessories like rugs, carpets etc. While I agree that there are existing smart fabric solutions for floor accessories (https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/6940/smart-carpets-for-smart-solutions), my design solution is different because it has the following features:

1. it is cheap and made with fortified, biodegradable materials. 

2. it is low tech and very easy to use.

3. it requires little or no cleaning efforts (except to dispose stored waste) 

4. it is durable and has a life span of more than 5 years.

5. it can be customized to suit consumer preferences (for example, the addition of a security feature which helps people monitor movements within a location).

DESIGN CONCEPT

As mentioned earlier, we can view the potential floor accessory product as a system comprising three units: collector, storage and sensor.

1. COLLECTOR: 

The collector unit is the part of the product that is clearly visible to the user - it is the first point of interaction with a user. This unit will be made from a composite of biodegradable materials (excluding wool) that:

• are 100% safe for use by humans and animals
• have high thermal insulation capacity
• can be compressed without losing its original form
• are recyclable.

The collector will be designed to capture dust and dirt at a relatively high response time, without defacing the collector's surface. The captured dust and dirt is immediately transferred to the storage unit through a filter membrane. 

2. STORAGE:

The storage unit is embedded as an internal component of the floor accessory. It receives the dust and dirt directly from the collector unit. It has an air-tight mechanism that allows for easy integration with the filter membrane mentioned earlier. The storage unit is calibrated to record amount of dust/dirt collected per grams based on a weight measurement algorithm by the sensor unit. In the event that the amount of weight stored exceeds a certain threshold, the storage unit informs the sensor unit to notify a user about the need to carry out a waste disposal action. Disposing the collected dust and dirt is very easy because the storage unit is detachable and can be reused.   

3. SENSOR: 

This unit works closely with the storage unit to measure the amount of dirt collected over a period of time. It is a thin layer of sensor cells that detect weight measurements within the storage unit. This is based on an algorithmic approach that monitors when stored weight is either above or below a specified threshold. When the stored weight exceeds that threshold, the user is notified to dispose the collected waste. The notification method could come in different forms depending on issues like user's physical condition and preferences. For people with special needs, the notification method could be as a "soft beep", while for others, it could be in the form of color pattern changes on the surface of the floor accessory. For example, a rug could display an "abnormal" darker, color shade as a sign that the collected waste should be disposed.    

www.ecosmarttextiles.com

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