The Black Vault - Australia develops smart bra

Australian scientists have invented a smart bra which tightens its own straps when the wearer needs more support.

The bra is made of a fabric with a special coating that makes it contract when the strain on it passes a pre-set level.

Scientists at Wollongong University say it automatically provides women with extra support during strenuous activity such as exercise.

Other smart fabrics being developed by the team include a knee sleeve that tells athletes whether they have landed properly and a cloth for the US military with built-in solar energy cells and batteries.

The team is also working with doctors at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital on a glove for people with hand injuries which uses tiny electric signals to help patients clench their hands and pick things up.

Professor Gordon Wallace, head of the university's Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, said the woollen textile industry gave Australia and New Zealand a good base to break into the new world market.

"It's going to have a huge impact on the textile industry as we know it," he told the New Zealand Herald.

"Wool is a great platform. It has such marvellous chemistry. If you wanted to find a fibre with the right chemical properties, I would pick wool."

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