TEXTILES.ORG
In his presentation at IFAI EXPO 2021, Carsten Linti of the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) outlined some of the institutes’ work with e-textiles R & D. Smart textiles are proving particularly effective as diagnostic systems, providing real time data communication and diagnostics in a minimally obtrusive connection between the human body and the digital world. The integration into leggings of sensors for EMG monitoring of muscle fatigue eliminates the need for wetting or adhesive attachments to the body making them more comfortable and unobtrusive—particularly important when they need to be worn over a length of time. Because they are easy to position with no wires or sensor nodes, the wearer can fit the garment with sensors themselves, making it suited for rehabilitation and sports training. Data is communicated to a smart phone with a shift of the median frequency indicating muscle fatigue.