Spray-On Clothes

It was funny on Futurama. It looks kinda goofy in real life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScvdFeh1aOw

I think the market for such spray-on clothes will be kinda limited. However, the mentioned idea of spray-on bandages seems like something with merit… a can of bandage could become a standard part of any first aid kit.

And while not mentioned in the piece, an application I think might might have a real future: spray-on spacesuits. Spacesuits have so far been hideously expensive, and tailored to the wearer. A type of suit long discussed and desired is the “skinsuit,” which, instead of encasing the human form ina  pressurized garment, encases the human in a tight-fitting “bodyglove.” The skinsuit simply prevents the body from expanding. Theoretically, this would be just as good as a regular suit… give the suit a bubble helmet, and some thermal-control outerwear, and you’ll be good to go.

 What’s shown available in the video is a spray system that hoses you down with cotton fibers and some kind of adhesive. I can see a future variant that hoses the prospective astronaut down with much the same, but then switches to a different system that switches the cotton fibers for longer Kevlar fibers and a stronger adhesive. The first layer of cotton provides comfort and protection from the stronger outer-layer adhesive, while still being form-fitting. Heck, if it can be made good enough, a Kevlar skinsuit for use as a terrestrial form-fitting (and thus basically undetectable) low-end bulletproof vest.