received by the International Bureau on 09 April 2015 (09.04.2015)

In the Claims:

1. A brace for at least a part of a body comprising: a first conductive fiber associated with a first polarity; and a second conductive fiber associated with a second polarity different from the first polarity, the second fiber enmeshed with the first fiber and insulated from the first fiber; and a selectively electrically activated cross-linking agent between the first and second fiber, wherein the agent is constructed to limit relative movement of the first and second fibers in a first active mode when the first and second fibers are electrified.

2. The brace according to claim 1 , further comprising a first terminal electrically connected to the first conductive fiber and a second terminal electrically connected to the second conductive fibers, wherein the first and second terminals are electrically isolated from each other.

3. The brace according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first conductive fiber and the second conductive fiber includes electrical insulation.

4. The brace according to claim 3, wherein the first plurality of fibers and the second plurality of fibers are woven in a warp/weft pattern in which the first fiber forms the warp and the second fiber forms the weft.

5. The brace according to claim 4, wherein the cross-linking agent includes an ER fluid retained in contact with the first fiber and the second fiber.

6. The brace according to claim 4, wherein the cross-linking agent includes an EAP dielectric attached to the first fiber and the second fiber.

7. The brace according to claim 3, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are spaced longitudinally from each other and wherein the first conductive fiber extends longitudinally from the first terminal towards the second terminal, but is spaced therefrom and the second conductive fiber extends longitudinally from the second terminal towards the first terminal but is spaced 29

therefrom, and wherein the first conductive fiber is intertwined with the second conductive fiber longitudinally.

8. The brace according to claim 7, further including a sheath surrounding the intertwined first and second conductive fibers, wherein the agent includes an ER fluid contained by the sheath and retained in contact with the first and second conductive fibers.

9. The brace according to claim 3, wherein the first conductive fiber is formed as a first loop and has a first end and a second end attached to the first terminal and the second conductive fiber is formed as a second loop and has a first end and a second end attached to the second terminal, and wherein the first loop is woven with the second loop.

10. A brace for at least a part of a body comprising: a first conductive strip comprised of a first plurality of conductors and a first selectively electrically activated agent between the first plurality of conductors, wherein the first agent is constructed to alter the modulus of the first strip in an active mode when the first plurality of conductors are electrified and is constructed to not alter the modulus of the first strip in an inactive mode when the first plurality of conductors are not electrified; and a second conductive strip comprised of a second plurality of conductors and a second selectively electrically activated agent between the second plurality of conductors, wherein the second agent is constructed to alter the modulus of the second strip in an active mode when the second plurality of conductors are electrified and is constructed to not alter the modulus of the second strip in an inactive mode when the second plurality of conductors are not electrified; wherein the first strip is enmeshed with the second strip, and wherein the first and second strips are electrically insulated from each other.

11. The brace according to claim 10, further comprising: a first sheath enclosing the first strip and a second sheath enclosing the second strip, wherein the first agent includes a first ER fluid which is between each of the first plurality of conductors of opposite polarity, and 30

wherein the second agent includes a second ER fluid between each of the second plurality of conductors of opposite polarity.

12. The brace according to claim 11, further comprising: a first dielectric spacer between each of the first plurality of conductors; and a second dielectric spacer between each of the second plurality of conductors.

13. The brace according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the first and second dielectric spacers includes one or more of a fabric dielectric, discrete dielectric, or EAP dielectric.

14. The brace according to claim 10, wherein the first agent includes a first dielectric spacer between each of the first plurality of conductors, and the second agent includes a second dielectric spacer between each of the second plurality of conductors.

15. The brace according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second dielectric spacers includes EAP strips, which when activated deform and cross link to increase the modulus of the first strip and the second strip.

16. The brace according to claim 3, wherein the fibers have EAP strips longitudinally positioned on an outer surface of the fibers.

17. The brace according to claim 3, wherein [[the]] EAP strips are circumferentially spaced and attached to the fibers at only one end of the EAP strips.

18. A brace system for protecting at least a part of the body, the system comprising: a selectively electrically activated brace for the part of the body, the brace constructed to have a first modulus of elasticity in an inactivated state and to have a second modulus, larger than the first modulus, in an activated state; a sensor electrically connected to the brace, the sensor constructed to sense the condition of the brace and to determine whether or not to activate the brace based on the sensed condition; a power source electrically connected to the sensor and constructed to selectively power the brace; and 31

a switch electrically connected to the brace and the power source, wherein the switch is constructed to selectively connect the power source to the brace in the activated state and to disconnect the power source from the brace in the inactivated state.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the sensor includes at least one of an

accelerometer and a strain gauge positioned on the brace.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the knee brace includes a first conductive fiber, a second conductive fiber, and a selectively electrically activated agent between the first and second fiber, wherein the agent is constructed to alter the modulus in a first active mode when the first and second fibers are electrified and is constructed to not alter the modulus a second inactive mode when the first and second fibers are not electrified.