Smart Textiles

28th Apr 2023

Researchers at Canada’s Waterloo University have developed a smart material that responds to both heat and electricity. The material, made with polymer nano-composite fibres from recycled plastic, can change its colour and shape when stimulated. The material is activated by a low voltage of electricity, making it more energy-efficient and...

28th Apr 2023

Researchers from universities around the world have developed a new metallic coating treatment for clothing or wearable textiles that can self-repair, repel bacteria, and monitor heart signals. The conductive circuits created by liquid metal particles can transform wearable electronics and open doors for further development of human-machine interfaces.

25th Apr 2023

Cambridge University researchers have developed next-generation smart textiles that incorporate LEDs, sensors, energy harvesting, and storage. The researchers created test patches of smart textiles measuring around 50x50 cm, which could be scaled up. They can be produced inexpensively and, in any shape, or size using machines used to make everyday...

28th Mar 2023

A team at ETH Zurich led by Professor Carlo Menon has developed a smart textile sensor that can measure physical exhaustion. Integrated into athletic leggings, the sensor uses a unique fibre structure to capture body movements precisely. The sensor’s potential applications could extend to preventing exhaustion-related injuries in the workplace and more.

27th Feb 2023

Researchers at Aalto University and Cambridge University have collaborated to create new textiles that can alter their shape based on the temperature. Such responsive smart fabrics not only offer adjustable aesthetics but also assist in tracking people’s health, enhance thermal insulation, and provide new tools for controlling room acoustics and design.

23rd Feb 2023

UWE Bristol researchers at the Centre for Print Research (CFPR) have successfully developed a prototype of a simple piece of fabric, which when placed around a wrist can monitor heart rate and can be worn and washed at least 10 times without compromising its monitoring ability. The research team is being led by senior research fellow Dr Shaila Afroj.

1st Feb 2023

Researchers in the US have made novel carbon nanotube yarns that convert mechanical movement into electricity more effectively than other material-based energy harvesters. Improvements to the invented high-tech yarns were called ‘twistrons,’ which generate electricity when stretched or twisted. Their new version is constructed much like cotton yarns.

25th Jan 2023

A researchers’ team led by Dr Yuanyuan Guo from Japan’s Tohoku University's Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences has developed a microelectronic fibre with microscopic parameters that is capable of analysing electrolytes and metabolites in sweat. The fibre’s micrometre scale allows it to be woven into clothes for healthcare use.

24th Jan 2023

Smart clothing made of thermochromic yarn that changes colour based on body temperature will soon be able to detect fever in newborns. Louisiana State University’s researcher Sibei Xia is developing body-tracking wearable technology—a hat—that could reduce the need for monitoring an infant’s temperature using thermometers and other invasive...