It's all about luminescence!

Luminescence results from the characteristics of certain substances emitting absorbed energy. The stimulation of luminescence by electricity is called electro luminescence (EL). EL commonly uses fluorescent compounds, luminophores, and phosphor compounds as light-emitting substances.

EL was developed in 1936. Its use was confined primarily to laboratories until the early 1960's, when commercial applications such as illuminated aircraft dials were developed. EL has a number of advantages for specific commercial use:

• the light source is shadowless and homogeneous,
• it can be shaped to fit small and/or complex spaces,
• illumination is "cold"; and
• is insensitive to shock influences.

e-shirts uses this EL technology to produce a dazzling lighted effect on all its fashionable and novel attire. E-shirts have EL panels with microelectrodes leading from each independent flashing element to an inverter/battery pack. In addition to holding four AAA batteries, each battery pack also has a high frequency power inverter and an IC chip. The power inverter increases voltage, making each EL panel exceptionally bright. E-Shirts also have a number of preprogrammed flashing patterns. On the side of each battery pack is a toggle switch that cycles through each panel's flashing patterns; the IC chip controls this modulation.