Smart clothing has the potential to ease everyday activities in the future – provided it is appealing to users, easy to use, and customizable to individual needs. Tiina Vuohijoki’s research developed new kinds of assistive smart garments that support daily life and can also be tailored by the user.
As the population ages and independent living becomes more emphasized, new ways are needed to support people’s functional capacity at home. Although wearable technologies have been widely developed, smart clothing has not become commonplace in everyday use.
“One reason is that such devices often don't feel personal – they may look too technical, be difficult to use, or not fit the user’s personal style,” says Vuohijoki.
The study approached this challenge through hands-on making: the dissertation introduced smart garments that can be crafted at home, for example, through hand embroidery or punch-needling. At the same time, it examined what features users desire in clothing that supports everyday life.
The prototypes are based on passive RFID technology, which operates without internal batteries and enables a lightweight, simple structure.
“Smart clothing doesn’t have to look like hospital equipment. It can be individual and easily fit into one’s personal style – and still support daily functioning,” explains Vuohijoki.
New prototypes make environmental and communication controls easier
In her research Vuohijoki developed different methods for creating RFID tags by hand – such as through embroidery or punch-needling. In addition, two prototypes were formed during the study: the Smart Jacket and the Command Sleeve, which can assist with communication or by activating other devices.
“In both prototypes, the function is activated by covering the tag, for example with the palm of a hand, so fine motor skills are not required. This method can be used, for example, for making a nurse call, starting music, and giving yes or no answers,” Vuohijoki describes.
Public defence on Friday 19 September
The doctoral dissertation of Master of Health Care (Nursing) Tiina Vuohijoki in the field of health sciences titled Studies Towards E-Crafted RFID Smart Clothing For Daily Activities will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University at 12 o’clock on Friday 19.9.2025 at City centre campus, Main building, auditorium D11 (Kalevantie 4, Tampere) The Opponent will be Docent Satu Jumisko-Pyykkö from Häme University of Applied Sciences. The Custos will be Associate Professor Johanna Virkki from the faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University.
The doctoral dissertation is available online.
The public defence can be followed via remote connection.