How i made a Wearable Heater from a PCB

Ironman inspired wearable PCB heater!
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[@alsayedjalal]

At this point, it would be a viable product if you can make it run on external power banks that fit in a persons pocket. Having the ability to quickly change the battery and using whatever size suits the user. That's if the power output supports it.

[@brothyr]

there's a jacket from Milwaukee that does that. I believe it uses their M12 battery system because with a jacket, less power is needed to keep warmer.

[@neutronenstern.]

He should make it by using energy from the blood of the owner, to burn his fat faster and also keeping him warm. (;

[@graealex]

I think what is also required to make it more viable is to have it look less like a suicide bomb vest.

[@muhammedibrahimtekin109]

maybe he can try to run it with powerbank that supports power delivery

[@dominateeye]

@@graealex Yeah... My first thought was "don't walk up to a police officer wearing that".

[@graealex]

Exactly how I like my heated vests: with a 32-bit dual core micro controller, WiFi and Bluetooth.

[@thesilentcitadel]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJKak4dtaap6i9U

[@graealex]

@@thesilentcitadel Well, you still need a few more pins if a non-I2C display is used. Even with charlieplexing that's a bit too tiny.

[@Dilshad-gu7je]

You crazy, glorious mad scientist! Really enjoying your unique use of pcbs. I would love to hear the conversations you have with PCBWay and their engineers when you propose these wonderful ideas. @PCBWay thanks for sponsoring Carl. Seeing how you make such great and difficult PCBs for him tells me that you will make great ones for my little projects.

[@0rangedrink]

Cool idea! Put the batteries on your hips and the weight shouldn't be a problem.

[@Troglobitten]

what heated clothes often do is run a wire to a battery packed that's stored in the pockets. It also allows for your to carry around a backup battery. Maybe something to consider

[@LittleGreenFire]

Thanks for making an amazing 4 minute video instead of dragging it out with a bunch of drama like other YTers. Keep youtube youtube and let tv be tv.

[@dhayakumarrajanprakash2249]

Velcro can be another option… stick pcb in one side and other side of it in the dress… as the surface area is high it can hold some weight! So it can be single piece instead two !

[@LeLaboDeHarry]

It can be interesting to put a battery in a backpack which powers the suit via wireless transfer? No so efficient but really userfriendly

[@KeithOlson]

FWIW, I recall watching a study *years* ago where it was proven that if you can keep a person's core at 30C or greater, you can fool the brain into thinking that the outside temperature isn't cold so it won't shut down blood vessels in the extremities to maintain core temps. In the study, a subject wearing an electric vest was placed in an environment with a temperature of -12C and had to perform bare-handed dexterity tasks like threading nuts onto bolts. As long as the vest was powered, he could do it easily. However, within 2-3 minutes of it being turned off, his fingers started to stiffen up until he could no longer perform the tasks.

[@nosmokenojoke08]

I love your channel, it's pushed me to go back to school too. As a suggestion for an alternative idea have you looked at stainless steel conductive thread? It's what's used in automotive heated seats & steering wheels. It may be a viable option for what you are trying to do. Also most heated jackets put the battery behind your left or right hip sightly away from your hand. Again thankyou so much for contributing to the community.

[@adamvalt6609]

yep, that looks like the right solution. Using flexible pcbs for this is just silly :)

[@nosmokenojoke08]

@@adamvalt6609 you'll never know if you have the right solution until you fail :)

[@MrManningata]

It's almost like this is a real commercial product already which uses nichrome wire, which is really common for this kind of product.

[@KayAteChef]

Such a vast gap between the class of the first comment and what came later.

[@frollard]

The really nice thing about the hilbert curve you used to route the tracks - you can cut the pcb into a continuous lot of many strips and (if they were to be sewn) all the gaps would mean the garment could still be quite flexible.

[@TOASTEngineer]

I just use the heater from an aftermarket heated seat kit and a 12 volt "battery generator" strapped to my upper back, both off Amazon. Warm enough and lasts long enough, plus the battery unit comes with a high-power LED light so I can cosplay as a car.

[@marius6260]

Now make one with Peltier modules and a heatsink to keep you cool in the summer

[@0hellow797]

Consider creating a version to alleviate period cramps! I think it’s a great idea and I haven’t seen anything on the market. Right now best there is really are there’s microwaveable beanbags, which are okay, but a consistent equal heat, without needed to recharge in the microwave would be really cool!

[@mohamedtalaatharb2441]

Nice idea, I also think heating the back is useful for Sciatica patients. Usually they use warm bottles to alleviate their back pain symptoms but this doesn't work on the go.

[@gavincarstens6497]

you can get plug in electric water bottle/beanbag type heaters

[@youpie29]

Yucatan people need this.. 😍

[@davideimperati1802]

You can try adding a battery belt and connect the battery with a flexible cable. Also you can borrow ideas wor scuba diving heated vests. I think you are in Malta, there should be some 40 dive shops within 10 km radius.

[@adammills4099]

I really really like your quick explanation of the design, condensing hours and hours of work into a few seconds 🙂

[@NickElectronics]

Its heater, its frying pan, its everything in one :)

[@agentid36]

Battery solution: battery belt around hips. Thin modular rechargeable batteries that fit through belt loops and have high flexibility.

[@tonysammut3799]

Hey, given the weather in Southern Europe these days I think a personal refrigerator should be a future project, perhaps big enough to keep the 'family jewels' cool ;-)

[@MrMarblee]

You could connect the battery with a wire, that way you can have the battery in your pant's pocket or sew a pocket in the shirt. That's how the already available heated clothing is made, the electronics and battery are removable, only the heating element is inside.

[@alexlea5480]

As someone with painful periods, I would love to have a small discrete belt like that 😂

[@malteser0212]

I had a different idea for wearable heatinh, and that is sewing thin wire directly into the fabric. I tried it with 0.1mm enamelled copper wire and it works fantastically. I only did a prototype though, because I didn't have enough wire and old fabric left for any more. This was around six years ago, nowadays I hesitate with such stuff, because I don't know enough about regulations for heated wearables here in germany. Otherwise, this would probably be a huge improvement for heated clothing. Using another conductor would be preferable though, probably something like leoni histral...

[@pesoen]

maybe the socks and gloves can be made to run with a smaller battery, like a AA or AAA battery, or maybe an 18650 cell. as for the vest, maybe a remote power style would work, making the batteries connect using wires to the vest, and the batteries themselves can be placed in a pocket or some kind of carrying pouch. or see if you can make the vest less power hungry, and maybe run on two cells, one under each arm(on a magnetic clasp to keep the vest closed, similar to a lifejacket style)

[@mycelleismybffl]

AHHHHHHHH carl this is adorable, and you are amazing!!

[@cinobro6393]

I think the flexible heatpad pcb's are super awesome but it would be great to see a heater element woven into the fabric directly!

[@roncho]

nice idea ..if you can make batteries thinner with better placement it could be a good product

[@zZkamexZz]

As always impressive! Speaking of battery: why not to make it detachable? With something like usb-c connector, and battery seating somewhere in backpack. tbh idea of wearing modern batteries this close to the body scares me.

[@micgalovic]

I think that body-thin cotton tshirt-PCB heater-thick sweater is way better from efficiency standpoint. Let the PCB warm up to body temperature and then give it very little power, so the body itself doesnt need to produce heat. ubs-pd cable mounted on the vest with a new gen 100W powerbank would be practical solution too.

[@demitv001]

Can possibly use smaller patches of heaters and use a electric drill battery as the power source

[@zero-twentysix]

I want one of these to wear when I travel, airports are always so cold....

[@mohamedhamzaoui826]

you can eliminate the battery and replace it with an external wireless backbag continent battery i think that's look pretty cool !

[@SMVK]

Glued to pice of cloth (use fast air dry flexible glue) like new layer of warm segment. and you will have the opportunity to sew on clothes ✨

[@damianmelamed1706]

You could to a "battery belt" with many small LiPo (1 or 2 cells) or some 18650 at the back of the belt. You could even put the charging circuit in the belt. Then with some type of "power distribution hub" (many conectors one next to each other in the front or the sides of the belt) you would be able to power the vest, gloves or whatever you see fit or apropiate at the moment

[@tvishmaychoudhary69]

What about just using a power bank? A pd power may give you enough power And for the temperate why don't you make it kind of like a regulator where you set a given temprature and it will turn on and off the heater for more or less a uniform temprature? Also for the heater can't you use some medium sized PCBs and velcro them to the cloth Thanks!

[@dtesta]

Powerbanks usually can't output 70 watts of power...

[@tvishmaychoudhary69]

@@dtestathey can actually PD power banks can output around 83 watts at 18 volts They are expensive though

[@tm106]

Easy. Batman style utility belt to house the batteries.

[@bylolo4964]

Flex IS life 👍❣️

[@ongduong3424]

Can you make a similar self-reheating lunch box?

[@wojciechbajon]

The biggest performance problem is faulty design assumptions. Notice what is heated in mountaineering and what is heated in fishing. In addition, excessive integration does not always bring positive benefits. Integrating the battery in a belt (kidney bag) would give much more possibilities.

[@devinholland2189]

3 part heater that Velcros in to a zip up hoodie with a power tool battery in the pocket. With the right hoodie the hook side of the Velcro would attach to the fabric. What would be really handy though is a power tool battery heater that will keep them up to temp in cold weather.

[@andymuzzo8568]

Very nice. That’s a big PCB

[@adamsiwek7995]

You can try dividing the battery info front and back section that will distribute weight evenly. Try using one of those thin cell phone batteries.

[@humzakhatri7085]

Create a heated wrist band, the blood circulation will heat the whole body. This will also need a smaller battery.

[@Ultrazaubererger]

How about USB-PD and a powerbank in a backpack / on the belt?

[@michaelschecker2716]

HOT Idea 😀 For Energy IMHO use power bank. I have lot of in different sizes. A bit of math and i know how long which one will last. I like FlesPCB much bit for this i use carbon fiber roving. Contacting with the stranded wire through ferrules.

[@dltroger]

Hi Carl, I really enjoy watching your videos and it’s very inspiring. I wanted to ask you what you studied to learn what you do (robotics programming, and electrical design)? I really look forward to hearing back from you! Can’t wait to see more videos

[@ConsultingjoeOnline]

Very cool project!

[@oliverer3]

Really cool but maybe don't wear it to the airport. Also making it compatible with a USB PD power bank might make the battery solution more flexible pun not intended, though IC for that seems to be close to unobtanium atm.

[@mirr0rd]

Yeah that display at the top peaking out of the jacket is going to freak someone out wearing this on public

[@OfficialyMax]

The only issue with this, is that you designed it in march, the beginning of spring :P Though seems very useful, especially for winter adventures!

[@CarlBugeja]

😅 It was planned for an earlier release but there are so many delays with chips!

[@calibour37]

We need a couple of these right now in Malta eh? 😅

[@mwatson4283]

Add small holes to vent moisture. Could you buy a clothing stencil and flexible pcb the same shape? And magnet/velcro it together at seams.

[@Morgan.Gilroy]

What about a belt/pocket mounted detachable battery? just need a couple small wires up the back with a plug.

[@williamnewby1695]

make a mesh pcb that can mold better and sew it into 2 layers of fabric! use smaller batteries also. help with distribution.

[@secretqwerty838]

perhaps a USB PD battery pack could work? they can go up to 100 watts and only need a USB Type C to C cable

[@GJToken]

My suggestion would be to add side flaps/wings to the chest and back panels underneath the arms (that could potentially join or snap together) and place the batteries on those 4 wings, it'd distribute the weight evenly, maintain the look of the vest and improve functionality. I'm not sure what your design constraints are, but you could space the "coils" further apart in order to cover a larger area, maybe in a honeycomb or waffle pattern to create a larger surface area without necessarily increasing total coil length.

[@Julia_Labs]

OMG!! what a crazy project!! I loved it

[@sonicunleashedfan124]

Maybe a Lithium-Ceramic battery would work, there’re really slim (as slim as LiPo) but as powerful (maybe more) then lithium-ion

[@oliverer3]

Not exactly easy to get a hold of though.

[@marsrover001]

I own one of those USB powered washable vests. It's ok, but not as warm as I would have hoped. Might try using type C and over-volting the heaters to 9v or even 12v. Yours is a good start but isn't nearly large enough, would leave my tummy far too cold.

[@Anercomp]

and now a variant with peltier-elements for VR purposes please :D

[@nextlevel4529]

To me 🤔😁 physical gold isn't that worth but great ideas are now the real gold , I recommend your videos ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 continue with that awesome work you have right there.

[@ingusmant]

Don't know if you are still working on this but I consider maybe it would be better to have the battery on front so it won't be uncomfortable when sitting down.

[@artursmihelsons415]

Nice and practical design idea! 👍 At next steps it may get perfect. 😉

[@STEAMfromScratch]

2 things - consider how much flexing occurs and strategic placement for max heating effect. Triangular origami patterns would be much better than a box pattern for this flexibility. Also, recognizing where the most heat is lost is not typically your core...it's your extremities. For example, you might also want to consider how the body heats and cools itself best - the fastest way to drop your core temperature is an ice cube placed where? Under your armpit. Why? Because there's the Axillary arteries and veins located there, a major hub. Now heating your armpits sounds weird ('cause it is!)...but it would work much better (and faster) than other places.

[@jakobfindlay4136]

simple solution, battery belt. mount the battery to your belt loop no weight problem but introduces a wire problem

[@nochan99]

Replace the battery with a hand crank attached to a generator. It will provide the energy and also heat you up further all by itself!

[@ZeroZeroOne__]

An external battery that just fits in your pocket or attaches to your belt would help

[@SCIENTECH1509]

Bro i think you should also make cooling vest too Bo the way love you content 🤗

[@Jkauppa]

CaO + water works too, as temporary heat generator, a crush squeeze heat pack

[@Jkauppa]

you already have a phone in your pocket, use that as the battery

[@Jkauppa]

or just have solar sells in your clothing, for continuous input

[@Jkauppa]

peltier modules work too, either body heat generators or heaters, clother air conditioning, hot side inside, cold side outside, or the flip side for sahara trips

[@ujjainia123]

Nice 👍

[@luke.perkin.inventor]

No, flexible PCBs are wrong for this application. Moisture (sweat) management is just as important as thermal management, because with the wrong layering you will end up wet and then cold. Breathability is key. It's also never your chest or back that get cold first, it's your extremities.

[@Dilshad-gu7je]

Would adding heat to the chest / back mean that the extremities cool more slowly with warmer Blood filling them? Or does the external coldness cause the extremities vessels to constrict this limiting the flow of the warmer blood?

[@luke.perkin.inventor]

@@Dilshad-gu7je Not really. Blood vessels in the extremities constrict to protect the vital organs. The blood stays the same temperature, we're warm blooded animals. It could have emergency use, if someone is already hypothermic. In that scenario the priority is to return the core body temperature and internal organs to a normal temperature as soon as possible. But it just looks like a fragile solution looking for a problem, that's already solved in electric blankets.

[@EndroEndro]

just put them on the belt like portable mic stuff. would be interesting to charge it remotely like i forgot the device name but there is way to charge it wireless

[@dakhlaouimehdi9453]

i think it will be better if the battery have it own case and can be stored separate

[@JanJeronimus]

Interesting. However as you can not see the display yourself perhaps in the software can toggle to display a mirrored image. So you can easy read the value using a mirror. (Or add an ESP32 and use your smartphone as controller.)

[@stormbreaker932]

Usb-pd input, relocate the battery to a USB power bank in your pocket 😁

[@petermines3575]

Cool.

[@lpjunction]

A down feather vest is quite warm without the battery. OTOH, my cup of capuccino is cooling fast. A PCB warmer is a good idea to maintain the right temperature.

[@mattdrat3087]

I would never wear a LiPo battery. If something goes wrong and it catches fire you will be very sorry. Much better to have a plug on the heating pad so you can attach the battery in a pocket via a plug. Should something go wrong, take it out and throw it away before you catch fire. Then you could also plug in another battery when the first one goes flat.

[@sushiji6914]

isnt lithium-ion battery just a sheet thats rolled to fit in a cylinder? what if its integrated with the PCB? its flexible, it should be possible to shape to a vest too. i dont know much so i might be wrong though, just correct me if im wrong or if its not possible

[@manfredflemme6324]

Couldn’t you place the battery in a pouch (similar the a phone holder) which then clips on to your belt?

[@Scott_C]

Multiple 18650s around the two bottom edges, that could be replaced would be great. Or even some capacitors that might be able to be wirelessly charged/inductive (think shake flashlight) charged as the person walks would be cool. Limiting the heater's run time duration of cycling on for a minute then off for 3 minutes may make the powersource last longer.

[@borliebulus6147]

How about a small tank of water with small heater and small pump to run the water in tubes??

[@vedhachalamj810]

Awesome.... 😎😎😎

[@KimForsberg]

Would it be possible to make a "2d" battery, as in a flattening out the structure from what is today usually rolled up or layered in multiple layers. Then instead of layering, just connecting them in serial/parallel to achieve the same performance? There seems to be one company selling such products, or just buy parts to make self. I mean, the resulting vest would be thin, but not that thin that you wouldn't notice it. Maybe if the cells are structured in a pattern to allow for flexibility it wouldn't be too bad though.

[@Jagnathbaba]

Looks like a Bomb vest more than anything and would freak anyone in a train or metro LOL

[@BruceWayneReal]

What if you just put like 4 batteries in the front vertically and 4 in the back? I'm sure it'll be fine.

[@brothyr]

something worth looking into with their heating method would be low-temp large pads for indoor seedbeds. you're looking for temps about 75F-80F so the seeds have the best environment to get going.

[@devinholland2189]

I could use that this week.

[@espero_dev]

Nice man I got 3 desktops and a laptop for free :) I can make pcbs now I am bad on my ipad and the screen on my phone to small

[@sorryfornoname2157]

coils. just like those wireless leds. whi not do that and put the battery part in a backpack or smthing like that?

[@martinTintin476]

I've been thinking about resistive insulated wires in my jacket for a long time. Do you have a finished concept of that spherical drone? Is it flying?

[@rkan2]

Now make the Crysis suit :P

[@UmbraAtrox_]

Can you make a Heatedplate for a 3dprinter but with individual zones?

[@shotybumbati]

Omg why did my brain go straight to "no way that thing take a bullet"

[@luisrey8986]

Excelente! 😃👍

[@tenij000]

lol bomb vest alarm

that kinda looks like a bomb west

[@matteoricci9129]

Just a crazy idea, would you be able to mount on the alluminum part of the rim of a pedal bike,just where the pad is braking, some magnet (or even on the spokes with a 3d printed mount) and put a series of custom PCB coil on the side to make a rim Motor? Would it be enough to make it usable? I guess that with the coils you could go only a quarter of the way, or make a module, that can be added to go another quarter, maybe better dividing in 1/6

[@GHILLIESARCADEANDMORE]

Cool

[@tronoses7774]

Plz make a propper tesla coil that is 1mm thick and on one pcb

[@matteoricci9129]

Anybody giving you a pat on the back could in extreme cases spark a fire, much wormer then 😀

[@izzydo3494]

Lol, cool concept indeed, definitely dosen't look like a suicide bomb vest at all with them batteries. 😆