The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Software predicts comfort levels

sketch of man in ski pants
Empa

Scientists in Switzerland have come up with a computer program that calculates “how warm and cozy a person feels when wearing a piece of clothing”.

Agnes Psikuta, a researcher at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)External link, says it’s not so much the fabric, but rather the air between the body and the fabric that counts.

“Air gaps are responsible for more than 70% of a garment’s thermal properties,” says Psikuta. Because air is an excellent insulator, clothing insulates particularly well when there is a lot of air between the body and the outermost layer of clothing. To date, most scientific models for predicting heat loss have been based mainly on the properties of the fabric – and not on how the fabric moves.

Researchers at Empa looked for solutions to calculate the change in “air gap thickness” when people are in motion.

“We used computer programs developed for the fashion industry as a basis. These programs simulate the situation on a catwalk. Designers can create a virtual model of a garment and see how their newly designed clothes look on a person in motion,” says Psikuta. She and her team have developed software that calculates the air layers, predicts the thermal comfort of the wearer and even accounts for the influence of sweating. It can also create sewing patterns that can be tested on avatars of any size or shape.

The program helps replace countless prototypes for creating new clothing and functional gear. Empa estimates that it can cut the development period by up to 90%.

“How much time we can actually save depends greatly on the product in question and its complexity,” says Psikuta. “Protective clothing for firefighters – ultimately a health- and life-saving piece of equipment – has a very complex structure, while a sports T-shirt, on the other hand, is quite a bit easier.” In order to apply the research results in practice, Empa is cooperating with industrial partners such as winter sportsgear manufacturers.

More




Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

More

Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

This content was published on On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.

Read more: Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
Industry calls for "lean implementation" of the EU treaty package

More

Swiss industry backs EU treaty package

This content was published on The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.

Read more: Swiss industry backs EU treaty package
A bull still on the prowl above St-Aubin (NE)

More

Raging bull found in western Switzerland

This content was published on A 600kg bull that escaped in the Montalchez region of canton Neuchâtel has been found in a pen surrounded by several cows.

Read more: Raging bull found in western Switzerland
Bern chatbot wins the UN AI Award

More

Bern chatbot wins UN artificial intelligence award

This content was published on The Bern-based chatbot "Sophia" has won the United Nations' "AI for Good Impact Award 2025". The chatbot is designed to help victims of domestic violence.

Read more: Bern chatbot wins UN artificial intelligence award

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR