Hitoe, McLaren’s drivers’ smart t-shirt

29 Nov 2016

McLaren is one of the most demanding firms ever and has always wanted to be a symbol of technology and innovation. Unfortunately, within the Formula One context, this ambition is a little limited by the many rules and standard driving conditions. This is why the McLaren team decided to focus on what has always been the actual focus of everything i.e. the driver.

The team is now using the Hitoe smart t-shirt, a real wearable sensor with electricity conductor polymers. This futuristic tool monitors the driver’s heartbeat and breath, his muscle contractions and even his skin PH, transmitting this information into a digital message.

Hitoe will allow the team to control drivers’ activity, performance and health, providing new data to analyse. By finding which muscles are working while driving, sport coaches will be able to prepare more specific and effective physical trainings. It will be also easier to find any driving mistakes and correct them.

This magical device creators are an  Ntt Data Japanese team that have decided to produce it in their Italian factory in Cosenza. This is an emblematic case of the tendency to integrate IT with very common objects, the so called “internet of things”. This t-shirt aims at well serving any professional and sportive context for anyone who might work in risky conditions or with no chance to give alert in dangerous situations.