Smart Textiles

A collaborative research has developed a pioneering method of 3D printing elastomers that enable complex, colour-changing responsive materials, paving the way for novel applications like smart textiles and advanced robotics.

New innovative cloth developed by a research group at the University of Waterloo requires no bulky batteries or manual controls, the warmth generated by the fabric comes entirely from solar energy, making it an environmentally friendly, self-sustaining solution for winter wear.

And now a multifunctional sensor based on semiconductor fibres that emulates the five human senses and is expected to be utilised in a variety of state-of-the-art technology fields such as wearables, Internet of Things (IoT), electronic devices, and soft robotics.

Scientists have developed a fabric material that can convert body heat and solar energy into electricity and has the potential for energy harvesting, health monitoring and movement tracking applications. It can detect temperature changes and a range of other sensors to monitor pressure, chemical composition and more.

Research at the Universities of Bristol and Bath has led to the creation of low-power interactive, digital clothing which senses and captures movements much more accurately than is possible using current phones and smart watches, while preserving the pervasive processes and systems used for manufacturing of everyday garments.

In what is being claimed as a tremendous breakthrough, a project is on to develop nanogenerator technology which can lead to wearable technology which picks up on a person’s natural movements to provide health data.

A new study from NC State University is combining machine learning with three-dimensional embroidery techniques to create a fabric-based sensor that can control electronic devices through touch.

Researchers at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University have successfully fabricated hair-thin, defect-free fibres spanning 100 metres, which can be woven into fabrics, turning them into smart wearable electronics.

A Smart Electrically Powered and Networked Textile Systems (SMART ePANTS) is in the works to make performance-grade, computerised clothing a reality.

Wearables designed by Rice University engineers co-opt haptics, or communication based on the sense of touch, that could soon help the hearing impaired, in navigation and even those with limited vision among several other tasks.