E-fiber just got smarter
September 1st, 2021
MIT researchers have created the first fabric fiber with digital capabilities, ready to collect, store and analyze data using a neural network. “This work presents the first realization of a fabric with the ability to store and process data, adding a new information content dimension to textiles and allowing fabrics to be programmed literally,” says […]
Artificial skin could detect injury in prosthetics
September 1st, 2021
Researchers have developed an artificial skin that senses force through ionic signals and changes color, like a bruise, providing a visual cue of injury. Scientists have previously developed electronic skins (e-skins) that can sense stimuli through electron transmission; however, these electrical conductors are not always biocompatible, which can limit their use in some types of […]
Advanced textiles rocketing into the future
August 1st, 2021
During a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Aug. 22, 2019, astronaut Nick Hague debuted the Artemis program identity in space. Hague and fellow crewmember Andrew Morgan installed the second International Docking Adapter on the complex to enable commercial spacecraft from Boeing and SpaceX to carry astronauts to the station. NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration […]
Textile sensor patch detects pressure points for amputees
April 1st, 2021
A soft, flexible sensor system created with electrically conductive yarns could help map problematic pressure points in the socket of an amputee’s prosthetic limb, researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) report in a new study. The device incorporates a lattice of conductive yarns and is connected to a tiny computer. After testing the […]
Medical patch designed for sealing internal injuries
April 1st, 2021
Many surgeries today are performed via minimally invasive procedures, in which a small incision is made, and miniature cameras and surgical tools are threaded through the body to remove tumors and repair damaged tissues and organs. However, surgeons face challenges in sealing internal wounds and tears. Taking inspiration from origami, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute […]
‘Smart bandage’ can detect infection
April 1st, 2021
University of Rhode Island (URI) assistant professor Daniel Roxbury (left) and former URI graduate student Mohammad Moein Safaee (right) have created a continuous, noninvasive way to detect and monitor an infection in a wound by embedding nanosensors in a “smart bandage.” Single-walled carbon nanotubes within the bandage identify an infection in a wound by detecting […]
Hemp on the horizon
March 1st, 2021
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of natural products like cotton. As cotton farmers look for new market opportunities, natural fibers such as hemp (at right), flax, coir and jute offer advantages for certain high-performance applications. Photo: ©Leekaomeng, dreamstime.com. COVID-19 has upended a way of life that we may have taken for granted. With the […]
Getting smarter about wearables
February 17th, 2021
The Wearable Technology Lab at the University of Minnesota is exploring mechanically active textiles and garments that squeeze or support the body, such as this compression vest, which changes shape via shape memory alloy materials. For control, effective sensors are required, an especially challenging problem because of the difficult sensing context presented by the body’s […]
Army, Texas A&M develop self-healing material
January 1st, 2021
The U.S. Army and Texas A&M University researchers have developed a new material that can autonomously heal in air and underwater. The 3D-printable and stimuli-responsive polymeric material is expected to enable massive reconfigurability in future military platforms, according to Dr. Frank Gardea, an aerospace engineer and principal investigator of this work for the U.S. Army’s […]
Researcher: Biobased products can produce luminescent textiles
January 1st, 2021
A researcher at the University of Borås in Sweden has established that luminescent textiles can be created by using a bioluminescent reaction system. In discussing the results of her research, released in her doctoral thesis, “Luminescent Textiles Using Biobased Products: A Bioinspired Approach,” Sweta Iyer said, “Bioluminescence phenomena in nature and their reaction mechanisms have […]