Two Japanese tech firms have jointly developed fabric that is electrified via the movements of the wearer and is capable of destroying bacteria and viruses.

Murata Manufacturing and Teijin Frontier developed the plant-based fabric called Pieclex. According to its developers, Pieclex generates minute amounts of electricity from the movements of the wearer, enabling clothing and other wearables infused with the specialty fabric to destroy bacteria and microbes.

The electricity is generated through the expanding and contracting motions of the material. However, the electricity generated is not strong enough to be felt by the wearer.

During testing, the researchers reported that the fabric proved 99.9% effective against viruses and bacteria.

In addition to possible applications in wearables, the team envisions that the fabric could also be used in sportswear, diapers, masks and for staving off body odor.

The team is hoping to soon test the fabric’s effectiveness against the coronavirus.