--- title: "This Smart “Astroskin” Shirt Tracks Astronauts’ Vital Signs" description: "Hexoskin's aesthetic new smart shirt can track astronauts' vital signs, including blood oxygen, heart rate, and skin temperature." date: "2019-02-06" modified: "2019-02-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/hexoskin-astroskin-astronaut-vitals" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "canadian space agency" - "iss" - "smart technology" - "the digest" --- # This Smart “Astroskin” Shirt Tracks Astronauts’ Vital Signs ![Hexoskin's new smart shirt can track astronauts' vital signs, including blood oxygen, heart rate, and skin temperature.]() *\Image: Canadian Space Agency\* ## Space Tank It looks like a techie muscle-tee built for the gym. But this tank top can do a lot more than simply catch sweat — it also unobtrusively tracks astronauts' vital signs. The Astroskin Bio-Monitor System jersey was developed by Quebec's Carré Technologies, also known as Hexoskin. The company signed a multi-million dollar contract with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop the jersey back in 2016, [according to *Air & Space Magazine*]() — and the shirt made it to space in December 2018, where Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques tried it out on board the International Space Station (ISS). ## Smart Shirt Sensors woven into the smart shirt's fabric and an accompanying headband measure [everything from]() skin temperature and blood pressure to breathing rate and blood oxygen levels. It comes with a smartphone and web app for data-syncing — and information tracked by the shirt is beamed back down to an Earth-bound control room for data analysis, too. ![]() ## Bio-Monitoring The idea is to make it easy and efficient to track astronauts' vital signs on the ISS. Medical devices like electrocardiographs, blood pressure cuffs, and activity sensors are "disruptive and time-consuming" according to an [official CSA statement](). Hexoskin is hoping to make the smart shirt available to all astronauts stationed on board the ISS eventually. And it's not only for use in space. The shirt could also prove helpful to people who can't get out of bed or have limited access to health care back on the ground. One downside: two AA batteries will have to be replaced every 48 hours. **READ MORE:** [Astronaut Suits Up in 'Smart' Astroskin Jersey on Space Station]() \[*Space.com*\] ***More on the ISS:** [Russia Says the American Toilet on the Space Station Blew Up]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()