Smart textiles

A clinical study that will examine the efficacy and feasibility of Myant’s textile-based monitoring systems for the gathering of medical-grade biometric data from the paediatric population is to be

Smart thermally actuating textiles (STATs), which feature tightly sealed pouches that inflate or deflate in response to the application of an electrical current, are being developed for use in soft

A film made from carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which demonstrates the neccessary combination of thermal, electrical and physical properties for the production of fabrics that could heat or cool their we

Results that suggest coronaviruses are killed when exposed to an electroceutical fabric have been reported in ChemRxiv⁽¹⁾ by researchers from the Indiana University (IU) School

Biomaterial-based inks that can respond to and quantify chemicals released from the body (such as in sweat and other biofluids) or in the surrounding environment by changing colour, have been devel

A piezoelectric fabric that generates sufficient electricity to kill bacteria as it is moved, thereby providing a deodorant function, has been developed by Japanese companies Murata and Teijin Fron

A flexible supercapacitor that can use human sweat as an electrolyte, and could potentially generate enough power to run exercise monitors and other electronic devices has been developed by researc

During April 2020, Nufabrx of Conover, North Carolina, worked with two other small US companies to develop and launch re-usable face masks that exploit the antimicrobial benefits of copper.

A nanomaterial-based coating that could be used to add functionality to normal cotton fabrics cheaply and effectively has been developed by researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria,

In response to the human coronavirous (COVID-19) pandemic, Canadian smart-fabrics developer Myant has been working to adapt its manufacturing equipment for the production of a new line of personal

Owing to the human coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Smart Fabrics Summit will no longer be held in Washington, District of Columbia, USA,  on 16–17 April, but will

The first call for applications by the European Smart Textiles Accelerator, SmartX Europe, has been met with a high level of interest and enthusiasm from the textile and technolog

A carbon nanotube (CNT)-based material developed in the USA is pliable enough to be woven into fabrics to create sensors that could serve as an early warning system for injury or illness.

Flexible, durable, and electrochemically and electromechanically active cellulose yarns, which can be knitted into fabrics that have the same fit and feel as conventional textiles, are being develo

The market for wearable patches is currently exploding, but, as Adrian Wilson reports, for textile manufacturers, there is little to be gained from selling flexible carrier materials by the square

A prototype of a protective suit with integrated temperature sensors and electronics that warn firefighters when ambient temperatures are too high has been developed in Belgium.

Thread manufacturer Coats is working with lighting specialist Osram to launch a washable, lightweight and customisable light-emitting diode (LED)-based system (Coats Signal Active Illumination) for

Sensor-containing wearables are set to become critical tools in making robots more widely available, an application that is unlikely to have occurred to the early developers of smart fabrics. 

A range of self-heating apparel that can be controlled using an application on a mobile electronic device has been launched by AlphaTauri, the fashion label founded by drinks manufacturer Red Bull.

One of Europe’s biggest suppliers of automotive components, Robert Bosch, has been developing structures comprising multiple functional layers of embroidered textiles for the manufacture of flexibl

Smart textile-based heart-rate monitors that perform as well as the traditional electrodes used for such applications are being developed by researchers from Draper of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and

Smart-textiles specialist Myant of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has entered into a joint venture with Osmotex AG of Thalwil, Switzerland, to commercialise the latter's Hydro_Bot active membrane techno

Textile-Circuit⁽¹⁾ is the latest technology developed for the efficient production of functional, electrically

A range of narrow woven base materials for smart textile products have been developed by Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM) of Bally, Philadelphia, USA. 

Nanobionic was selected as one of ten finalists in the 2019 US National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA)'s iTech innovation competition. 

Temperature-responsive textiles that can be used to create self-fitting garments that only require body heat to function have been developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneap

Osmotex has established a partnership with WidePlus for the mass-production of a membrane technology that actively draws sweat away from its wearer's inner garments.

A lightweight energy-harvester for scavenging energy from human motion, generating a sustainable supply of power from walking, has been developed in Hong Kong, China.

BeBop Sensors has tailored a version of its fabric sensor-enabled Forte Data Glove specifically for the Oculus Quest virtual reality (VR) headset marketed by Oculus VR, a division of Facebook.

Computationally controlled knitting machines are being used by researchers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, to create soft toys and other objects that are actuated by tendons—an approach that they

Google’s Project Jacquard has been quiet since the launch of Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket in 2017, but has now returne

The US Air Force Maintenance Operations and Training Augmented Reality Unit (MOTAR) is to use the Forte Data Glove developed by BeBop Sensors of Berkeley, California, USA.

A photovoltaic textile for portable solar devices has been developed by Saint-Gobain Adfors Canada of Midland, Ontario, Canada.

 A cost-efficient and scaleable method for producing graphene-based supercapacitors on textile substrates has been developed by researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Omniphobic textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (R^F-TENGs) that can produce electricity from human motion have been developed by researchers at Purdue University in West Lafayette,

Seventeen years after it first generated headlines with its Hug Shirt, wearable technology and interactive fashion brand CuteCircuit of London, UK, continues to generate substantial media attention

Researchers at Aalto University of Aalto, Finland, have developed a textile-based solar cell that could be integrated into such as clothing, furniture, sails and curtains.

In the future, marquees, tarpaulins and sun sails may not only protect objects and people from the sun, but might also generate solar power, as large, pliable, textile-based solar cells are current

The smart textiles subcommittee of ASTM International (known as D13.50) has approved its first standard, a compilation of industry terms.

A process to screen-print circuits that are stretchable and washable onto flexible substrates for use in wearable technologies, including medical applications, has been developed by Conductive Tran

A method for manufacturing light-producing automotive interior trim parts has been developed by Benecke-Kaliko of Hanover, Germany.

Cheap and safe charge-storage elements such as capacitors have been fabricated on textiles using nanomaterial inks by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

The series manufacture of smart textile products was demonstrated during the Techtextil/Texprocess exhibition, held in Frankfurt, Germany, on 14–17 May 2019, where a microfactory could be

As one of Europe’s biggest suppliers of automotive components, with sales of €78.5 billion in 2018, Robert Bosch is actively involved in many projects with Germany’s research institutes.

A group of researchers at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, has developed a three-dimensional (3D) printer for depositing electrically conductive fibres onto textiles and garments.

A way to protect flexible polymer solar cells and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) from moisture has been developed by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KA