Athleisure and sportswear have gone from the gym to the streets. If you have any sportswear in your closet, you probably know your clothes get heavier and more uncomfortable when exposed to the humidity. Most fabrics are not designed to be moisture-resistant, so the clothes are uncomfortable and hot. Waterproof or "breathable" fabrics are often not the best when confronted with high humidity.
The Pine Cone Effect: Inspiration from Nature
One company is taking the problem with humidity one step further with their innovative performance fabric that takes inspiration from an unlikely source - pine cones. MMT Textiles Ltd has created a biomimetic textile called “Inotek", following an insight from nature called The Pine Cone Effect, which reacts to changes in humidity by closing its fibers and making the yarn tighten up, thus preventing water from penetrating it.
When looking to design its performance fabric, the company took a page out of nature’s book. Pine cones are naturally designed to keep water out by closing their scales when exposed to moisture. The microscopic structure of the pine cone scales traps tiny air pockets along the surface, which makes them thinner and more resistant to water. This ingenious system inspired MMT Textiles Ltd to develop a new performance fabric, mimicking the process of the pine cone scales.
Taking Inspiration from Nature to Innovate on Existing Ideas
Rather than relying on a traditional waterproof membrane, Inotek takes a note from the pine cone's design and uses tiny air pockets to keep water out while remaining breathable. The company says that the fabric actually becomes 10% thinner when exposed to moisture - similar to how the scales of a pine cone interact with the environment.
Inotek is an excellent example of taking inspiration from nature to innovate on existing ideas. Rather than simply focus on the fabric materials themselves, MMT Textiles Ltd looked in unexpected places for wisdom. As innovators, we must always keep one eye on the natural world and see what can be applied to our own creations. We may be shocked to find just how much potential nature offers us in our creations! It's worth noting that some leading sports brands have adapted biomimetic textiles, such as the Pine Cone Effect, into some of their apparel and jerseys.
