Smart textiles

Formulations for inks that maintain their electrical conductivity when subjected to stretching, pressure and bending are being developed for the production of smart textiles by researchers at the G

A thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)-based resistive heater that can be laminated to textiles and can function effectively in temperatures as low as -60°C has been developed by Loomia and Advanced Fu

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded a contract to Hexoskin to develop and adapt its smart textile-based systems (Astroskin) for monitoring the vital signs of astronauts on Gateway, a space

Biodegradable textile-based sensors that can monitor the heart rate and skin temperature of their wearer are being developed by a research team led by the University of Southampton and the Universi

A fibre that heals itself, emits light and demonstrates magnetic properties is being developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Robust thermoelectric generators made from polymer-coated silk threads are being developed by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

A textile-based energy grid that can be charged wirelessly and can power devices, such as heating elements and environmental sensors that transmit data in real time, is being developed by researche

A multilayered wearable textile that reflects solar radiation and allows heat to escape from the wearer's body, thereby keeping them cool, is being developed by researchers at Zhengzhou University

A method for measuring the electrical conductivity of the thin-film coatings used to create electrodes for smart textiles has been developed by researchers in Germany and the USA.

A range of knitted fabrics enhanced with graphene-based inks has been launched by Heathcoat Fabrics of Tiverton, UK.

Fabrics featuring photovoltaic cells from Pvilion have been used to create outdoor student lounges that provide shade from the sun, and charging points for mobile telephones and laptop computers at

Flexible, elastic electronic devices, such as temperature sensors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which could be incorporated into textiles, are being developed by researchers at Nottingham Trent

A simple method for creating clothing that can sense body movement and relies on processes currently used for the manufacture of garments is being developed by researchers at the University of Bris

A direct method for attaching small, modular chips (chiplets) to embroidered conductive yarns has been developed by Nautilus Defense, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA.

A sound-suppressing fabric that could be used to create quiet spaces in rooms is being developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, USA.

Three-dimensional (3D) embroidery is being used by researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) to create a fabric-based sensor that can control electronic devices through touch.

A cotton fabric coated with nanofibres made from nanodiamonds and polyurethane (PU) that can cool its wearer by 2–3°C is being developed by researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Victoria, Au

The length at which yarn-shaped supercapacitors (YSCs) yield their highest energy outputs has been determined by researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh, USA.

A highly flexible and electrically conductive fibre has been made using recycled cotton by researchers in the USA, who report that it could one day be employed in the manufacture of smart textiles.

A liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) fibre that changes shape in response to thermal stimuli is being developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA. 

A research programme that will see smart textiles developed for military applications has been launched by the US Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), the research and developm

Polymer fibres that dynamically stiffen when exposed to strain are being incorporated into sportswear by adidas of Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Technologies that enable the infusion of therapeutics and medications into fabrics, called Nufabrx and developed by Textile-Based Delivery Inc (TexDel), and the associated retail business have been

A highly stretchable textile-based lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery that could be used to power wearable technologies is being developed by researchers at the University of Houston in Texas, USA. 

A waterproof jacket that features vents that open and close autonomously in response to the presence or otherwise of sweat, thereby helping to keep its wearer cool, has been developed by Nike of Eu

The use of soft materials and textiles, onto which electronics are printed, for the production of protective sleeves for the arms of robots is to be investigated by researchers at the Danish Techno

A yarn-based sensor that can take real-​time measurements of how exhausted a person gets during physical exertion is being developed by researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. 

Soft and elastic filaments made from liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are being used by researchers in Finland and the UK to weave textiles that can change shape repeatedly in response to chang

A textile-based supercapacitor that can charge in minutes, and can power a microcontroller and wirelessly transmit temperature data for nearly two hours without a recharge, is being developed by re

Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns that convert mechanical movement into electricity do so more effectively than other material-based energy-harvesters, according to their developers at the University of

A microelectronic fibre that is capable of analysing electrolytes and metabolites in sweat and could be woven into clothes for healthcare applications is being developed by researchers at Tohoku Un

A knitted hat for infants that changes colour in response to increases in body temperature is being developed by a researcher at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Batton Rouge, USA. 

A cost-effective and scalable screen-printing process that enables electrodes to be deposited on flexible substrates, such as textiles, is being developed by researchers at Washington State Univers

A method for precisely depositing a durable coating that can detect and neutralise toxic compounds onto fabrics is being developed by researchers at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

A sensor that can detect minor changes in strain, has a greater range of motion than previous technologies and could be incorporated into fabrics is being developed by researchers at North Carolina

Thin, lightweight, durable and flexible solar cells that can applied to textiles are being developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA. 

A cheap and simple method for incorporating triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) into textiles is being developed by researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh, USA. 

A fabric that can respond to changes in temperature to warm-up or cool-down its wearer is being developed by researchers at Shinshu University in Nagano, Japan. 

A sensor that measures physical contact between a face mask and its wearer’s face, and can be applied to any kind of mask, is being developed by researchers in the USA, who say that it could be use

A washable textile containing 1200 photovoltaic cells is being developed by researchers at Nottingham Trent University in the UK.

A computer-controlled jacket that could one day make its wearer invisible to infrared (IR) cameras is being developed by researchers in the UK, who have created a prototype to test the concept. 

A robust and washable electrically conductive cotton thread is being used by researchers at Imperial College London in the UK to embroider low-cost sensors on T-shirts and face masks.

Textile-based pneumatic logic gates that could be used to help people with functional limitations perform tasks without electronic assistance, eliminating the need for wearers to carry bulky power

A wearable sensor that can communicate with other electronic devices wirelessly without onboard chips or batteries is being developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MI

A vest loaded with acoustic sensors that can be used to monitor the condition of people suffering from severe respiratory or lung conditions is being developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Inst

A wearable, textile-based exomuscle that can be used to increase the upper-body strength and endurance of people with restricted mobility is being developed by researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerl

Heated sleeves and inserts for gloves are to be developed for civilian and military use by Loomia Technologies Inc and Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA). 

A stretchable, waterproof and breathable fabric that can harvest electrical energy from human body movements is being developed by researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Si