In the movie “The Wrong Trousers”, a pair of futuristic trousers lets people walk on walls and ceilings. Inspired by the movie, researchers in England created “The Right Trousers”, a set of trousers embedded(嵌入) with electrical pumps to force air into tiny tubes that expand and can help elderly or disabled people with issues like getting up or improving blood flow.   Now, material scientists, computer programmers and fabric designers are working to advance robotic clothing.

In June, researchers in Australia created robotic fibers, which can make fabric move automatically. Last year, scientists at MIT built fiber batteries that could be embedded into clothes and power robotic clothing. In recent years, Google partnered with brands like Levi’s and Adidas to put sensors in jackets, backpacks and shoes, letting users access their phones instantly. Researchers said they could soon unlock an era where clothing will act more like a computer, sensing how your body feels and telling your clothes how to help.

At the University of New South Wales in Australia, researchers are creating fabrics that can shape-shift. Thanh Nho Do, a senior lecturer at the school, said his team has created tiny tubes that can weave into sheets of fabric. These tubes can make fabric take various preprogrammed shapes. But challenges still remain for Do’s team, notably around making these robotic tubes smaller so they can weave easily with other fabrics.

Rebecca Kramer Bottiglio from Yale University agreed that many challenges remain before smart clothing “reaches their full potential.” It will be challenging to make these clothes, equipped with fibers and technology, strong enough to go through multiple cycles in the laundry, she said. Despite that, she says researchers will figure out a way forward. “Recent breakthroughs point toward a not-so-distant future where smart clothing will be a part of our everyday life.” she said.

【小题1】What inspired the researchers to come up with “The Right Trousers”?

A．A film.

B．A blood issue.

C．The way electrical pumps work.

D．The way the elderly and disabled move.

【小题2】What did scientists at MIT do last year?

A．They put sensors in clothes.

B．They created movable robotic fibers.

C．They made batteries for robotic clothing.

D．They released smart clothing connected to cellphones.

【小题3】What does Do’s team find challenging?

A．Making robotic tubes smaller.

B．Keeping robotic tubes properly shaped.

C．Producing stronger robotic tubes.

D．Programming the shape of robotic tubes.

【小题4】What is Rebecca’s attitude toward the future of smart clothing?

A．Doubtful.

B．Indifferent.

C．Worried.

D．Hopeful.