A thermochromic dye makes fabric respond to heat by turning white. Digitally-controlled heaters sewn into the material then allow the overall pattern to be controlled by a computer.
One application is in augmented reality. The pattern can be tracked in space by a device's camera to allow digital graphics to be overlaid. By varying the pattern a garment can then communicate with devices using it for augmented reality effects.
TEK-TILES is a project from the Brooklyn Fashion and Design Accelerator to develop examples of new textile technologies.