Have you heard of biometric fitness smart clothing? You may know these innovative products as wearable health devices. The premise is very simple. Computers can automatically and seamlessly monitor and track several important health and fitness variables, and then record that information. In the past, you had to stop your training, pull out a notepad, and write down your results. But this still couldn’t tell you if you were in the perfect zone for losing weight by burning calories, if your heart was working properly, if your sleep patterns were efficient, or if your simple daily routine was healthy. That’s where smart biometric fitness clothing comes into play.

Ralph Lauren is one of the most notable names in fashion. And the US Open every year is one of the most watched and important tennis tournaments in the world. So what do these seemingly unrelated kings in their fields have to do with wearable fitness tracking devices? The answer comes from a company called OMsignal. They have used Olympic athletes to help design a line of T-shirts embedded with a special silver thread. These T-shirts communicate wirelessly with a small, credit card-sized, Bluetooth-enabled data storage and transmission device.

Each of the 4 different jerseys released by the company has a small pocket that houses this intelligence data tracker. Your heart rate, workload, calories burned and other important physical actions and functions are instantly monitored and recorded. If you switch from one of these smart shirts to the next, just remove and replace the little data recorder. Wirelessly, this gives you the ability to automatically transfer this information to your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet. The implications for your future are virtually limitless.

Some healthcare providers and medical institutions already employ computers and tablets so that you can wirelessly transmit computer-recorded physical information. This can be achieved through free and paid health and fitness apps that you download to your tablet or smartphone. But there are also wearable health devices that appear to be nothing more than a trendy bracelet that keeps track of your important health metrics 24/7. Many of these include Bluetooth wireless technology, making communication with your doctor simple and error-free.

The agreement between Ralph Lauren and the US Open Grand Slam tournament debuted with the OMsignal shirts in the ball boys of that tournament. Every time a missed shot from Serena Williams or Roger Federer was fired, the smart health stats monitor shirt worn by the ball boy went to work. Respiration and stress levels, heart rate activity, and other biometric measurements were instantly tracked and recorded, allowing for rapid “real-time” monitoring. The debut of this innovative technology builds on Ralph Lauren’s major market launch in 2015 to offer a range of apparel including dress shirts and sportswear integrated with smart technology powered by OMsignal.

This is a positive move for many reasons. While wristbands, headbands, and clip-on devices are currently offered in the wearable healthcare market, their capabilities are limited. When you’re playing a game of hockey or lifting weights, your health tracking bracelet or wristwatch doesn’t really know how to interpret that data. Clothes make much more contact with your body. This, in turn, provides a much more accurate record of important body metrics.

Athletes and non-athletes, active and sedentary users alike can benefit from this new type of smart biometric fitness clothing. In the future, you’ll be able to simply walk into your doctor’s office and wirelessly receive an instant interpretation of your health status. And with smart shoes integrated with Google Maps now available, the explosion of truly wearable health and fitness tracking clothing is just around the corner.