Minimally obtrusive sensing with smart textiles

February 1, 2022  |  Swatches

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 di…
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Eco-friendly passive cooling solution

February 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Scientists from MIT’s Dept. of Mechanical Engineering have developed a means to modify fibers of PE (polyethylene), found in plastic wrap and grocery bags, to create fabrics that absorb and evaporate water more quickly than common textiles such as cotton, nylon and polyester.
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Wearable glucose sensor responds to sweat

February 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Diabetic patients typically check their blood glucose levels with a finger-prick blood test, or a subdermal implanted sensor. But an experimental new device could perform this function just sitting on the patient’s skin. Currently under development at Pennsylvania State University, the low-cost se…
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Making cotton behave more like synthetic fibers

February 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Most performance fabrics used in athletic clothing, such as Spandex, are made from synthetic fibers—plastic, essentially—but Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), has found an alternative to synthetic fabrics.
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Building a jacket that’s more than waterproof

February 1, 2022  |  Swatches

British adventure clothing brand Vollebak has launched a jacket it says is not just waterproof, it’s waterfall proof. The outer layer of the company’s Waterfallproof Puffer was inspired by the famously waterproof lotus leaf, which may look completely flat, but the surface is covered with microsc…
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Fabric has near field communication properties

January 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Most of us have experience with some form of near-field communication. Whether it is a smart phone, a “prox card” to unlock a room, or a contactless credit card that you wave in front of a reader, the technology has become ubiquitous. But what if you could pay for your purchases not with a card …
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User-friendly ‘Photoshop for textiles’

January 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Dutch textile maker Byborre has created a digital tool that allows anyone to design complex 3D-knittes fabrics. Dubbed Byborre Create™, the tool is being called “Photoshop for textiles” because of its user-friendly platform that offers free access to pioneering textile technology.
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Digital denim can reduce energy and water consumption

January 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Remember those treasured jeans from your youth that took you months to attain a certain faded look? Sure, these days manufacturers can replicate that look, but it comes at a high environmental cost. 
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Smart fabric can generate electricity

January 1, 2022  |  Swatches

The newest member of the wearable tech movement may one day be a fabric that can generate a small electric charge, enough to power small electronics through everyday movements.
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Mushroom-based leather

January 1, 2022  |  Swatches

MycoWorks, a California-based biotech company, has created an eco-friendly, vegan leather derived from mushrooms. The leather turns mycelium, the microscopic, root-like threads of a mushroom that latch onto and colonize different substrates, into a material that imitates the look and feel of animal-…
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