Evaluation Engineering - 32

TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTS

WHEN FABRIC BECOMES
THE SMART CHOICE
By Ken Cormier, Managing Editor
Smart fabrics-also referred to as
smart garments or e-textiles-enable
digital components such as sensors, small
computers, and batteries and lights, as well
as other electronics, to be embedded within them. Aesthetic- or performance-enhancing, these fabrics provide added value
to the wearer, such as changing colors,
lighting up, or improving performance in
athletics or in military applications. In
athletics, electronic garb can control muscle vibration, reduce wind resistance, regulate body temperature, and more.
E-textiles can be employed to shield
from extreme environmental conditions,
such as space travel or high radiation. The
health and beauty industries have entered
the fray with drug-releasing textiles, as
well as fabric that has moisturizing, antiaging and fragrant properties. Electronic
textiles diverge from wearable computing,
as the focus is upon the seamless integration of textiles with components such as
sensors, microcontrollers, and actuators.
The inclusion of electronic capabilities on
textiles enlists the use of conducting and
semiconducting materials. Organic electronics materials-sometimes designed as
inks and plastics-are moving into favor in
e-textiles, as they can conduct and act as
semiconductors, and may be more amenable to stretching and bending movements.

Fibrous transistor
survives the wash
A team led by Dr. Jung-Lim at the Korea
Institute of Science and Technology recently revealed that it had developed
a transistor with a fibrous structure,
and which is said to retain a level of
functionality after being washed. The

EVALUATION ENGINEERING AUGUST 2019

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transistor-fashioned by connecting
twisted electrodes-is said to allow adjustability, and the semiconductor can
handle currents more than 1,000 times
greater than those handled by existing
transistors. Dr. Lim's team was able to
bend the transistor and wind it around a
cylindrical object more than 1,000 times,
and maintained a performance level of
more than 80%. After washing the transistor with detergent, the team claimed that
performance level remained high. The researchers were further able to activate an
LED device with the transistor inserted
between the threads of clothing and measure electrocardiogram signals through
signal amplification. "We expect that our
study will contribute to the development
of even smarter wearable products in the
future, including next-generation wearable computers and smart clothing that
can monitor vital signs," Dr. Lim said.1

In fashion and entertainment
According to a June report by Market
Mirror, "Smart Fabrics in Fashion and
Entertainment Market," robust market
growth is predicted at a CAGR of 31.29%
between 2019 and 2024, with North
America as the key regional player. The
report cites rapid developments in the
field of nanotechnology, polymer development, and low-power-consuming wireless
sensors as transformative factors in the
landscape of the market. According to the
report, "The convergence of the internet of
things, 3D printing, and nanotechnologies
are creating enormous opportunities for
the fashion and entertainment industry.
With the increasing number of products integrating sensors to generate and

respond to data and perform a range of
various functions, the market is expected
to grow further."2

Aiding sports performance,
healing from injury
A team of researchers at Dartmouth
College have created a smart fabric that
can assist athletes and physical therapy
patients by offering a lightweight, wearable, flexible, washable, and inexpensive
solution that monitors joint rotation and
arm angles. This innovation has the capability of improving sports performance
and aid physical therapy patients through
the healing and rehabilitation process. w
While body monitoring technologies already exits, many of them require heavy
instrumentation and rigid sensors.
This wearable monitor was designed
with fabric made of nylon, elastic fiber,
and yarns plated with a thin silver layer
for conductivity. The team used off-theshelf fabrics and tailored their designs
in two sizes that were fitted with a microcontroller that can be detached to
measure fabric resistance. The method
uses the stretchable fabrics to detect
skin deformation and pressure fabrics
to measure pressure during joint motion.
The system detects joint rotational angle
through changes in resistance. 3
REFERENCES

1. The London Economic, "Machine-washable
'smart' clothes step closer to reality," June
2019
2. Market Mirror, "Smart Fabrics in Fashion and
Entertainment Market 2019," June 2019
3. Dartmouth College, "Off-the Shelf Smart
Fabric helps athletic coaching and Physical
Therapy," April 2019

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