Pillow in the Cloud at the Heimtextil 2019, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pillow in the Cloud, source: ITA
Healthy sleep is one of the most important pillars for long-term well-being, which is why the theme of "Sleeping" with its own theme exhibition was a special focus at this year's Heimtextil trade fair (08.01-11.01.2019, Frankfurt). The fair opened the season as the biggest home textile exhibition with new trends and textile innovations. Under the "Smart Bedding" theme alone, 134 exhibitors presented the latest sleeping systems, mattresses and bedding, including functional materials as well as innovative technical solutions for a better night's sleep.
To demonstrate the possibilities of current smart textiles, the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University together with various partners (Gerber Technology GmbH, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology KITECH, VETRON TYPICAL Europe GmbH, WearIT Festival and ZSK Stickmaschinen GmbH) presented the "Pillow in the Cloud". The name is significant because the pillow is not only intelligent and reacts to touches with dimmable LEDs, but is also linked to other pillows in the cloud. This allows the user to light up the cushion himself, dim it or let it wake him up with light. The cushion shows the possibilities of smart textiles as well as the current practicability. What is also special about the cushion is that it is the first automatically produced smart textile product. The production process is carried out via a micro factory and will be shown at the Texprocess trade fair between 14 and 17 May 2019.