Because smart textiles are difficult in certain respects to develop, they are often limited in size and scope. A newly developed smart textile seems to have overcome these challenges. A research team has developed a 46-inch fully woven smart textile display that combines active electronics, sensing, energy and photonic functions that can be made using existing industrial manufacturing processes.
It is aimed to be produced from sustainable materials
A team led by Cambridge University researchers has developed a product that can start a new era in smart textiles, can be adapted to many areas, and can be produced more easily than previously developed smart textiles.
To make the technology compatible with weaving, the researchers coated each fiber component with materials that could withstand enough flexing so that they could be used in textile manufacturing equipment.
The developed product can work as a display, monitor various inputs or store energy for later use. It can also detect radio frequency signals, touch, light and temperature. It also allows large functional rolls to be made in this way, as it is made using commercial textile production techniques, as it can be rolled up.
The research team states that the product they developed can be used in many areas such as curtains that are also TVs, energy harvesting carpets and interactive, self-working clothes and fabrics.
Luigi Occhipinti, principal investigator of the study: “By integrating fiber-based electronics, photonics, sensing and energy functions, we can achieve a whole new class of smart devices and systems. The full potential of textile manufacturing “We may soon see smart and energy-independent Internet of Things (IoT) devices seamlessly integrate into everyday objects and many other industry applications.”
As a next step, the team will investigate ways to make their current smart textile product from sustainable materials
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