Make it Made: Bio-Suit

We invented clothing to keep ourselves warm. Waterproof clothing. Breathable clothing. Moisture-wicking clothing. Compression garments. Period underwear. Wearable sensors. Smart watches. But most clothing is still fundamentally passive.

This idea started with something incredibly ordinary: having to use a restroom.

For most of us, it’s an inconvenience we barely think about.

But for some people it becomes much more than that.

I’ve watched older people struggle with incontinence. Sometimes they don’t want to go anywhere because they want to stay close to a bathroom. I have even seen how this issue can bring so much inconvenience and shame. And that got me thinking.

Our lives are partly organized around our bodies. Before a long drive: Did you use the bathroom? At a concert: Where are the bathrooms? Traveling: Can we stop somewhere? Hiking: What am I going to do if I have to go?

We don’t realize we need this yet, but hear me out… This idea isn’t only about incontinence. Imagine someone with mobility difficulties. A marathon runner. A hiker miles from facilities. Someone on a long road trip. A worker whose job doesn’t provide easy bathroom access. Perhaps even emergency responders, military personnel, or people in disaster situations.

What if our clothing could give some of our freedom back?

Not a diaper. Not a medical-looking device. And not clothing that simply absorbs urine and holds it against the body. One important distinction: the Bio-Suit I’m imagining is designed only for urine and perspiration. It isn’t intended to manage bowel movements—you’d still use a restroom for that.

Why should anyone have shame in a natural experience that we all have? Imagine being able to go when you have to—without panic, embarrassment, or immediately having to find a restroom.

It might sound weird, but it is my personal belief that this concept could even help our physiology. How often do we ignore the signals our bodies give us because there isn’t a restroom nearby, because we’re driving, working, traveling, or simply don’t want to interrupt what we’re doing? I don’t know yet what the science would say about my idea—but I think it’s a question worth asking.

I call it the Bio-Suit.

The possibilities go far beyond incontinence. And no one else would even need to know when you were using it.

Go farther. Stay longer. Worry less.

Imagine putting on clothing that looks and feels like comfortable athletic wear. Most of it is soft, breathable fabric. But hidden inside are layers designed to work with the body.

If you sweat, the breathable portions of the garment allow that moisture to escape naturally.

If you urinate, a special inner layer quickly moves the liquid away from your skin. Tiny hidden pathways carry it to another part of the garment, where it can be temporarily contained and gradually processed. The big engineering question is whether we could separate and release some of that water as vapor while safely retaining the remaining waste in a small removable component. I think it’s possible…

The Bio-Suit’s purpose would be simple:

Dry at the skin. Waste contained. Water released. Dignity preserved.

Could we actually make this?

I don’t know yet.

And that’s the point of Make it Made.

Maybe the final answer won’t be a full Bio-Suit.

Maybe it becomes Bio-Pants. Underwear. Athletic wear. A removable liner. Or something none of us has thought of yet.

I’m putting the idea here because that’s what Make it Made is about.

Tell me what you see.

Now does the suit need to be attached to your feet and have gloves? Could it just be pants? What would have to change?

What problem haven’t I considered?

What technology already exists that could help?

And most importantly—

How could we make it made?