W5: Smart Textile

 Blog 5

Smart Textile

The textile industry is a large manufacturing industry that converts fibres into yarn, which is eventually transformed into fabric. It covers a range of sub-sectors, such as agricultural and chemical fibres, clothing, retail, and waste management (Farhana et al., 2022). Smart textiles, also known as e-textiles or electronic textiles, incorporate technology into fabric to provide additional functionality beyond regular clothes. These materials are able to sense, react, and adapt to surrounding stimuli, making them extremely adaptable and inventive (Comini, 2016). It combines advancements in materials science, electronics, and biotechnology to create textiles that not only enhance aesthetic appeal but also serve functional purposes.


Figure 1: Smart Textile Device Application (Behera et al., 2024)

Today’s smart textiles are making strides in various applications. From sports and fitness to healthcare, these fabrics monitor vital signs, track physical performance, and even detect environmental changes. For example, Smart textiles equipped with piezoelectric devices using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics have been developed to actively prevent the spread of pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 by detaching and inactivating viruses through ultrasonic waves, demonstrating significant potential in enhancing personal protective equipment (Lee et al., 2024). However, the technology faces challenges such as durability, washability, integration of electronic components without compromising comfort, and mass production issues (Emerging Tech, 2024). Despite these hurdles, the market for smart textiles is growing as innovations continue to improve their practicality and user-friendliness.

 In the next 30 to 40 years, smart textiles are set to change how we live in significant ways. Imagine clothes that adjust their warmth or coolness based on the weather, keeping you comfortable all the time. These clothes could also keep an eye on your health, spotting problems before they start. Plus, they might clean the air around you, getting rid of pollutants to keep you healthy. Future garments could even let you customize their color based on your outfit choice or mood, adding a personal touch to how you express yourself. In the future, our clothes might also help us communicate by changing colors or patterns to show messages or feelings. This vision of smart textiles means our clothes will do more than just wear; they'll actively support and enhance our daily lives.

Many smart textiles today can't automatically adjust to different temperatures to keep the wearer comfortable. Adaptive climate control fabric would solve this by using materials that change insulation based on the temperature around them, enhancing the wearer’s comfort in various climates without manual adjustment. This innovation not only improves personal comfort but also promotes energy efficiency by reducing the need for additional heating or cooling devices. To achieve this, material scientists have to research and create textiles that include these adjusting materials. Test these fabrics in different weather conditions to make sure they work well everywhere. Besides, they have to partner with brands that make outdoor clothing to bring these fabrics to the market, emphasizing their comfort and energy-saving benefits. The success of this product in the market would depend on demonstrating its durability and effectiveness through rigorous testing and real-world usage data.

Currently, health monitors are often separate gadgets that need to be worn with clothes, which can be inconvenient. By building these systems right into smart textiles, health monitoring would become easier and more continuous, providing instant health updates that could help predict medical issues. This integration can lead to better health management and potentially early detection of health problems, improving overall healthcare outcomes. Efforts must be made on the development of tiny sensors that can be woven directly into fabric without making it stiff or less comfortable. It is crucial to work together with healthcare technology companies and doctors to make sure the data these clothes collect is useful and accurate. Start testing these clothes with people in high-stress jobs like firefighters to see how well they work before selling them more widely. Scaling up production will involve ensuring the sensors are cost-effective and can be manufactured at scale without compromising quality.

Current smart textiles often overlook how clothing can affect emotions and mood. Clothes that change color or pattern based on how the wearer is feeling could improve mood and personal expression. Such outfit could serve therapeutic purposes, helping individuals manage stress or social anxiety by providing visual feedback about their emotional state. Sensors may be integrated to track heart rate and body temperature to adjust the color or pattern of the fabric. Additionally, collaboration with psychologists is essential to better understand emotional responses and with fashion designers to keep the clothes stylish. This implementation can be started by involving these clothes in settings like performances or social events to fine-tune the technology. Expanding these smart clothes into everyday wear would require ensuring the technology is subtle and seamless, blending naturally with fashion elements to appeal to consumers.

Reflecting on my choice of the smart textiles domain, it's deeply influenced by the upcoming Christmas and New Year season, along with December's travel peak. Planning a trip to a cold country challenges me to find clothing that is pretty, comfortable, and warm. This struggle underscores the need for garments that combine style, comfort, and functionality. Smart textiles fascinate me because they promise to revolutionize fashion with fabrics that adjust warmth based on temperature or enhance appearance according to mood. This potential to transform my travel wardrobe motivates my interest in smart textiles.

Smart Fabrics: The Future of Fashion | Futuregene







Reference

Behera, S. A., Panda, S., Hajra, S., Kaja, K. R., Pandey, A. K., Barranco, A., Jeong, S. M., Vivekananthan, V., Kim, H. J., & Achary, P. G. R. (2024). Current trends on advancement in smart textile device engineering. Advanced Sustainable Systems. https://doi.org/10.1002/adsu.202400344

Comini, E. (2016). Metal oxide nanowire chemical sensors: innovation and quality of life. Materials Today, 19(10), 559–567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2016.05.016

Emerging Tech (2024). The Future of Fashion and Functionality Woven Together with Smart Textiles. Etofficial.com. https://etofficial.com/smart-textiles/?i=1

Farhana, K., Mahamude, A. S. F., & Mica, M. T. (2022). The scenario of textile industry in Malaysia: A review for potentiality. Materials Circular Economy, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42824-022-00063-5

Lee, S. E., Lee, H., Kim, J. H., Park, J. C., Kyung, S., Choi, H., Baek, S. H., Park, J. H., Park, S., Kim, J., Jo, H., Cho, S. H., Kim, J., Kim, H., Han, S. H., Oh, J. K., & Kim, B. H. (2024). Active-type piezoelectric smart textiles with antifouling performance for pathogenic control. Npj Flexible Electronics, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-024-00350-y

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