Graphene. From a simple "sheet" of carbon molecules comes a material stronger than steel and more conductive than copper. With its thousand uses in the electronic, biomedical, aerospace (and military) fields, we now also find it in a blanket.
It is called HILU, and is the world's first blanket made of real graphene fibers woven with proprietary technology. It has the unique ability to thermoregulate you while you sleep, providing warmth in the winter and keeping you cool in the summer. Hypoallergenic, antibacterial, soft… more resistant than steel (and scissors). Ideal for prison escapes! Joke.
How an "adaptive" blanket is born
It all starts with fabric construction: First, manufacturers dissolve graphite into liquid graphene crystals through a patented wet spinning process. The liquid crystals are then dried to create graphene fibers and intertwined to create a blanket that has the ability to react to body temperature and thermoregulate accordingly.
Because that's what it is, in the end. HILU, the subject of this crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, is in all respects an "adaptive" blanket: it adapts to body temperature to create comfort regardless of the season. It can even thermoregulate both sides of a bed independently, keeping one half cool and another warm based on users' preferences.
And then?
The blanket is not the end point of graphene, but an interesting point of passage. The technology developed for HILU changes the way graphene fibers are braided.
This technology could produce a future of fabric-thin solar cells, perhaps to be integrated into awnings. Or allow the creation of batteries and other products of a different concept from the current one, lighter and more versatile.
How to say: from a good blanket to a good discovery.
