New Clothing Senses, Reports Domestic Abuse

Researchers at the MIT Media Lab have created clothing designs that can detect domestic abuse, the Discovery Channel reports. Under the lining of garments equipped with the system, such as a hoodie prototype, is a web of fabric-based pressure sensors that can deliver specific information about the intensity and geography of forces exerted on the wearer's body.

The garment system's development was fueled by abuse research, including studies showing that the forearm was the body part most often injured in domestic violence. The possibility of false or manipulated results from the devices raises questions about their ultimate use, but the designers say they're intended to supplement other knowledge, rather than be a final word. (More domestic violence stories.)