A study of the hikers in Taipei for the demand of smart clothing functions

[[abstract]]The purpose of this study was to define the hikers in Taipei for the demand of smart clothing functions. The study investigated three dimensions, which were mountaineering hiker demographic variables, hiking experiences, and the low & high hierarchy demands of the smart clothing functions, totally included 33 functions variables. The study collected 360 subjects from hiking tails, jogging trails, and the mountaineering association in Taipei. Each group selected 120 subjects. Sampling periods was April and May in 2006. The method used structured questionnaire by face-to-face interview and then collected data by statistical techniques. Ten questionnaire administrators were trained to make sure how they could interaction with hikers and explain questions about the purpose of this study. The results from this study showed the three important demands of smart clothing functions were “monitoring pulse, monitoring heart rate, and monitoring physician condition reaching danger alarm” and less concerned about “entertainment”.Four function models was “immediately show data”model which was necessary. Based on demographic variables and hiking experience variables, the study applied the cluster analysis to group three types of hiker, which are “young and less experiencing hikers”(YL), “elder and frequently using the hiking trails near the urban areas hikers” (EU) and “elder and frequently using the rural trails hikers” (ER). The significant differences by one-way ANOVA among the three types of hikers were monitoring muscular fitness and flexibility functions, but after Scheffe test, monitoring muscular fitness was still significant. From the discriminant analysis, the findings about discriminant function1 explained 91.40% of variance totally and Wilks’ Lamda was .892(p