The fitness-tracking T-shirt acts like a Fitbit that can be used to track your sleep, steps, calories and distance travelled

A year ago, we profiled Broadcast Wear, a Hyderabad-based startup that designed what it claims to be world’s first programmable, touch-enabled T-shirt that can change designs and slogans according to our choice. For the unique invention, the startup successfully raised over US$117,000 through crowd-funding platform Indiegogo in July last year.

The startup, founded in 2016 by veteran serial entrepreneur Ayyappa Nagubandi, is now set to take the wearables industry to the next level, with a host of new tech-enabled fabric.

“Ever since our campaign went live on Indiegogo, we have been busy with not only creating prototypes and getting ready for the production of the Broadcast T-shirt, but also with creating more wearables that will disrupt the fashion and technology markets,” said Nagubandi. “After extensive research, we have now developed competencies in merging technology with textiles. In addition to touch-enabled clothing, we have created reflective clothing and interactive clothing,” he added.

Over the past few months, the startup launched a series of new tech-enabled clothing, that include a Facebook ‘Like’ T-shirt, where you can display the number of ‘Likes’ you get on your Facebook page that keeps updating itself in real-time; a T-shirt that displays the number of steps you have walked; and a safety jacket that is paired with a sensor and a battery to take in information about daylight and switch itself on the moment it gets dark.

In addition, a line of an light-emitting clothing was also launched. Christened Jaltee — an acronym in which each alphabet represents the name of an inspiring person who brought in revolutionary changes to the world (Steve Jobs/Isaac Asimov/LinusTorvalds/Nikola Tesla/Thomas Edison/Albert Einstein) — this clothing fuses technology with everyday clothing.

“Lined with LED and ELD wires, we create light-emitting clothing for every occasion and every reason. Jaltee is our line of clothing that glows. The clothes are embedded with ELD wires that make designs glow at the press of a button. This is water proof and comfortable to wear,” Ayyappa elaborated.

Nagubandi said the company is now on the verge of rolling out a new line of clothing that he believes will revolutionise the wearables industry.

“We are rolling out a fitness-tracking T-shirt, which has all the features offered by Fitbit. You can track your sleeps, steps, calories and distance travelled using this wardrobe,” Nagubandi said. “We are also coming up with a tech-enabled jersey for cyclists which can be used even in the night. This is a gesture-based clothing. The cyclist can use gestures to give signals to other cyclists/vehicles near him/her to inform them about his/her next move. For instance, if the cyclist is about to take a left turn, he can wave his left hand, and the lights on the left-hand side of the T-shirt will glow.”

The company is now working on a wearable mobile phone. “I cannot share more details about this, as it involves a lot of IP. This is not going to be another smartwatch, but a clothing which doubles as your phone. We plan to launch it in one year down the line,” Nagubandi said.

Broadcast Wear’s cloths consist of tiny LEDs that connect with the accompanying app to give you complete control over what you wish to say. These sensors are waterproof and have been made with keeping the comfort in mind. This means, they don’t pinch or hurt.

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