Fashion guru Ralph Lauren has sought to morph fashionable sportswear into wearable technology with the launch of the Polo Tech smart shirt, which is being worn by some ball boys at this year’s U.S. Open tennis tournament.
The compression garment comes with technology from a Canadian firm, OMsignal, that feeds detailed information about a wearer’s heart rate, breathing, activity and so on directly to a smartphone or tablet.
Silver-yarn-based sensors gauge athletic performance by measuring the expansion and compression of the wearer’s chest along with electrical changes associated with heart rate. The information is collected in a small black-box-type recorder, which can be removed when the garment needs to be thrown into the washing machine.
While the Polo Tech shirt is making a splash at the U.S. Open, the public won’t be able to purchase it until the spring.
See Ralph Lauren's Most Memorable Designs
Robert Redford, wearing a Ralph Lauren suit, leaning against luxurious car in a scene from the film The Great Gatsby, 1974. Paramount/Getty ImagesPrincess Diana is escorted by fashion designer Ralph Lauren during an event at the National Building Museum on Sept. 24, 1996 in Washington.Richard Ellis—Getty ImagesDiane Keaton, wearing Ralph Lauren's design, and Woody Allen in the 1997 film, Annie Hall.United ArtistsGwyneth Paltrow at the 71st Academy Awards on March 21, 1999 in Los Angeles.Jeffrey Mayer—WireImage/Getty ImagesKanye West wearing the Polo Bear sweater on Jan. 19, 2004 at Park City, Utah .Mychal Watts—WireImage/Getty ImagesVenus Williams, wearing Ralph Lauren, at the 2010 U.S. Open on Aug. 26, 2010 in New York City.Joe Kohen—WireImageDwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union at the Bridgehampton Polo closing day on Aug. 28, 2010 in Bridgehampton, NY.Eugene Gologursky—WireImage/Getty ImagesRalph Lauren and Oprah Winfrey at an evening with Ralph Lauren presented at Lincoln Center on Oct. 24, 2011 in New York City. Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesLeonardo Dicaprio wearing a white Ralph Lauren Polo shirt in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street.Paramount PicturesJohnny Depp wearing a Ralph Lauren designed outfit at the world premiere of The Lone Ranger on June 22, 2013 in Anaheim, Calif.Jeffrey Mayer—WireImage/Getty Images (L-R)Figure Skating Oympic Athlete Evan Lysacek, Ice Hockey Oympic Athlete Julie Chu, Ice Dancers Oympic Athlete Meryl Davis and Charlie White model the Olympic closing ceremony outfits by Ralph Lauren on Oct. 29, 2013 in New York City.Mike Stobe—Getty ImagesTaylor Swift wearing a Ralph Lauren dress at the 2013 People's Choice Awards on Jan. 9, 2013 in Los Angeles.Jon Kopaloff—FilmMagic/Getty ImagesLupita Nyong'o attends the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 12, 2014 in Los Angeles.George Pimentel—WireImage/Getty ImagesEmma Watson at The Royal Marsden dinner on May 13, 214 in Windsor, England.Chris Jackson—Getty ImagesA projection on water at the Polo Ralph Lauren Spring Summer 2015 fashion show during New York Fashion Week on Sept. 8, 2014 in New York City.Getty Images
