vollebak’s silver shielding suit blocks radio waves and kills bacteria

Shielding suit by vollebak deflects radio waves

Vollebak releases the Shielding Suit, a wearable technology made of pure silver that blocks radio waves so no one can track, hack, or call the users. The silver-added suit shares the same electromagnetic shielding technology that NASA has used for its Mars Rover. It blocks electromagnetic radiation and shields users from infrared cameras. Because the Shielding Suit, which comprises a jacket and pants, has pure silver embedded in them, this material deflects wave frequencies ranging from 0.2 GHz to 10 GHz. These include WiFi, Bluetooth, Ku-band satellites, and radar systems.The outer material of Vollebak’s Shielding Suit starts with a base of ripstop nylon.

The design team metallizes the jacket using a process that allows for the pure silver to ‘grow into the fabric’ instead of being applied as a coating. In this way, the pure silver is part of the fiber before being woven as a jacket. Vollebak says that because silver is both conductive and antimicrobial, the material can also reflect certain types of electromagnetic energy while killing bacteria at the same time. During testing, the team says they’ve achieved a blocking effectiveness of 60 dB against different frequencies. This is equivalent to 99 percent of signal reduction.

all images courtesy of Vollebak

Faraday pockets that block the users’ connectivity

For the Shielding Suit, Vollebak collaborates with Shieldex, the Bremen-based laboratory known for creating high-tech metallized fabrics. They’ve already made some for the Mars Rovers and have now had it for the brand’s recent wearable technology. Vollebak’s Shielding Suit comes with pockets that work like a wearable Faraday cage. These can block access to the user’s devices, regardless of whether they’re switched on or off. There’s a pocket on the left chest of the jacket and another inside the right side pocket. The design team says they’re like ‘pillow cases’ since they envelop and protect the user’s devices like a watertight container.

In this way, no one can track, hack, or even call them. The pure silver embedded into Vollebak’s Shielding Suit also deflects infrared radiations. Because of this, infrared cameras are not able to see people wearing the suit. The design team explains how the suit can wipe out bacteria. Since 17 percent of the jacket’s outer material comes from pure silver, it releases positively charged ions. When the bacteria moves into the silver-infused fabric, it wipes the germs out upon contact. These ions cling onto the bacteria’s DNA and prevent it from ever functioning and reproducing.

Vollebak releases the Shielding Suit, a wearable technology made of pure silver that blocks radio waves

Snap fasteners to adjust the cuffs for wrists and ankles

Design-wise, Vollebak uses soft polyester lining inside the Shielding Suit’s jacket. There’s also a two-way front zipper, a hood with a cord adjuster at the back, and two elastic cord adjusters at the hem. Users can tighten the cuffs around their wrists with a single snap fastener. As for the pants, the inside has soft mesh lining. There’s an elastic waistband with a bungee cord adjuster. Users can tighten the ankle parts as well using the snap fastener.

There are two pockets with invisible, stay-down zippers at either side of the pants. Then, there are two more zipped pockets at the back, both of which have storm flaps made from the shielding silver material. The last is the first pocket, found on the right leg. Vollebak says that while the Shielding Suit with pure silver only blocks low-frequency waves for now, ‘it’s our first step towards everyday clothing that is fully radiation-proof,’ says the design team.

Tye silver-added suit shares the same electromagnetic shielding technology that NASA has used for its Mars Rover