Smart textiles

By Jose F. Saenz Cogollo, Ph. D. (josefsaenz@gmail.com)

We set-up a procedure to transform normally insulating textile materials into (semi)conductors. Conductive textiles can be manufactured into many shapes, printed, sewn, or knitted into fabrics, or even woven in fiber forms directly into textile structures.

Applications:

•  Color changing textiles (electrochromic): conductive textiles can change color from light blue to dark blue using an electrical signal and be used as displays, indicators or color changing garments
• Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding: this technology allows realizing electromagnetic shields entirely made of fabric, on large and ultra-large areas
• Heating textiles: patches entirely based on conductive textile materials can be inserted in garments for providing heating effect with a simple battery
  

   

• Biopotential electrodes: textile electrodes allow recording biopotentials from the skin surface as for instance Electrocardiographic (ECG) signals.

• Strain/pressure sensors: sensors entirely based on textile materials allow recording pressure or tension applied on the textile itself with a high sensitivity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TyjESf7kVE
  
• Active electronic devices
  – Organic field effect transistors (OFET)
  – Organic electrochemical transistors (OECT)