A Japanese firm has developed a high-tech fabric which contains nanofibres which can monitor your heartrate.
Mobile network NTT Docomo worked with Toray to produce the clothing, known as Hitoe (or 'one layer').
The idea is to place the nanofibres into a nicotine patch-sized square, two of which are able to measure your vital signs. NTT Docomo already produces health-related apps for its smartphones, so the data naturally works with those devices.
The most obvious application would be in sportswear, but Engadget reports NTT Docomo also has ideas for pyjamas and even hats, which would allow the machines to monitor even while you're asleep.
The pitch adds that the sensors are washing machine proof, and a very lightweight. If it works, it could be a good first move towards genuinely useful wearable health technology.