Investigating the design of smart garments to monitor elderly health and wellbeing

Dr Danying Yang, Heriot-Watt University
RSE Small Research Grant

Smart clothing technology has existed for over two decades, offering ways to monitor vital signs such as heart rate, temperature, and ECG. Yet, despite advancements in this space, for many older adults, the benefits of these innovations remain out of reach. Devices are often abandoned due to a lack of familiarity with the technology or discomfort.

Dr Danying Yang, an Assistant Professor in the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University, was awarded an RSE Small Research Grant to progress the project: Investigating the design and wearability of smart garments in monitoring elderly health and wellbeing (WEARCare).

The WEARCare project, which brought together an interdisciplinary team of researchers, designers, and engineers in the SMART Wearable Electronics Group (SWEG) at Heriot-Watt University, aimed to rethink the process of designing health garments; seeing them not just as medical tools, but as everyday wearables that feel intuitive, respectful, empowering, and that can fit naturally into the lives of older adults. Central to this human-centred approach was direct user involvement.

Dr Yang engaged with older adults as co-designers, aiming to understand their daily experiences to tailor the design of alerts, feedback, and interfaces to match their personal preferences. Whether using colour, sound, or gentle vibration to give health updates, the project aimed to break down barriers to technology adoption and help older adults manage their health with greater confidence and independence.

Whilst WEARCare aims to reduce health inequalities among older populations, healthcare professionals will also benefit from more accurate, continuous health data, which will allow for earlier interventions and more personalised care. The project also contributes valuable insights for developers, designers, and policymakers in the digital health space, helping to influence more inclusive design practices.

Dr Yang believes this approach will help improve the quality of life for older adults. Early findings have shown improved willingness to use smart garments when feedback and alerts are designed around individual preferences.

The next phase of the WEARCare project will involve refining the smart garment prototypes through iterative design and extended testing with older adults and their carers. The team will also explore in more depth how the garments integrate seamlessly with healthcare systems to provide real-time data to professionals, supporting better care and early intervention.

In the long term, the team’s vision is to develop a comprehensive range of smart garments tailored to various health needs—from cardiovascular health to mobility support—creating tools that adapt to people’s lives, not the other way around. By keeping end users at the heart of the design process, they aim to create inclusive wearable technologies that promote independence, dignity, and quality of life throughout the ageing process.

Ultimately, WEARCare aspires to inform future innovation and policy in the field of assistive wearable technology, laying the groundwork for a more compassionate, connected model of ageing and care in a digital world.