Plux, LMA, UP, INESC TEC and CITEVE develop smart sports suit

A smart suit for sports training was one of the solutions developed under the Texp@ct project, whose results were presented last May at the Alfândega do Porto. The development and design of this sensor-equipped garment involved Plux as the leading entity, alongside LMA, the Universidade do Porto (through Labiomep), INESC TEC, and CITEVE.

The initial concept aimed to create a coordinated outfit composed of a garment with integrated textile and non-textile sensors capable of measuring temperature, humidity, heart rate, electrocardiography, electromyography, respiratory rate, and biomechanical parameters. The solution would be complemented by software modules based on mathematical modelling and artificial intelligence, capable of generating training recommendations focused on performance improvement and injury prevention.

The project also included a cloud service with different levels of access depending on the athlete’s degree of professionalism, where all collected data is stored, allowing long-term performance tracking. In parallel, a mobile application was designed to record physical activity performed with the suit and display key performance indicators.

The final solution remained aligned with the original proposal, with only one major change: the type of garment. Two versions were developed, male and female, to ensure closer skin contact and therefore more accurate data collection.

The consortium members described their roles and the challenges faced throughout the process to T Jornal.

Marta Costa, continuous improvement manager at LMA, explained that the company’s challenge was to develop the fabric. “We needed a breathable and sufficiently flexible fabric, ensuring user comfort while enabling the integration of sensors into the textile. Several usability and real-world tests were carried out in parallel with fabric development to validate requirements and achieve an aesthetically appealing design,” she said.

She highlighted the “relevant contribution” of CITEVE in the final garment manufacturing, resulting in a product described as “very attractive.” The solution integrates not only wearables but also conductive yarns embedded directly into the fabric, while remaining fully washable.

She stressed the importance of closer collaboration between scientific institutions and the textile sector, arguing that such synergies enable high value-added products and increase industrialization potential.

During the event, the solution was demonstrated in real time, with a group of young participants wearing the suit and displaying live data such as heart rate through an application.

Ana Florinda Ramôa, from CITEVE, explained that athletes’ activity is recorded in real time and stored for later consultation after each session.

The target users are adolescents aged 12 to 18 in school and sports training contexts, although it can also be used by professional athletes, offering value not only to the athlete but especially to coaches, who can design more efficient training plans based on the collected data.

Testing included real-world validation with students at different distances, as well as more than 100 washing cycles, ensuring durability equivalent to around one year of use.

Plux will act as the technology owner. CEO Rita Cristóvão explained that the sensor enables real-time ECG readings, heart rate detection, and variability analysis.

“Although typically used in research, this device now has a sports application, allowing assessment of potential cardiac risks and preventive action. Increasingly, wearables are serving not only clinical purposes but also sports performance,” she said.

The wearable, integrated into a sports top, represents an evolution compared to existing belt-based solutions. However, she emphasized that it could be integrated into other textile products.

The commercialization pathway is still under definition, whether as a combined offering or separate products. Still, she highlighted the solution’s high technology readiness level (TRL), considering it ready for industrialization.

She also pointed to its potential to improve consumers’ quality of life and awareness of their own body functions.

She concluded with a positive assessment of the three-year project, highlighting signal acquisition quality and the consortium’s experience in European projects, expressing openness to future challenges.

INESC TEC was responsible for developing the application and algorithms, focusing on signal processing and extracting information such as movement intensity, distance covered, and athlete positioning, designed to function in group settings such as entire classrooms.

“The complexity lies in the scale. Communicating data from 30 students simultaneously is very different from one, and that was the main challenge,” explained Miguel Correia.

Initially, foot sensors were also considered to improve precision in measuring distance and jump force, which may be integrated in future iterations.

The Universidade do Porto (Labiomed) was responsible for system validation, defining target users, metrics, and validating results against other equipment.

Researchers highlighted the innovation of targeting young users and combining multiple measurements into a single technological solution that previously required several different devices.

Finally, CITEVE coordinated the consortium, ensuring articulation between partners and efficient communication, while also supporting fabric selection with LMA and contributing to the design of the final garment.