Smart Textiles

Textiles: clothes in intimate contact with the human body as well as technical fabrics in furniture or cars provide a ubiquitous platform to collect data. At the same time, electronics integrated into such textiles should not influence their drapability, permeability or any of their other desirable mechanical properties. For this reason, smart functionalized textiles are an ideal application for flexible electronics. We are investigating different approaches of integrating thin-film devices into conventional textiles. This happens on multiple levels including the seamless integration of flexible structures into fabrics, or the use of textiles as substrates for thin-film processing, and even the functionalization of individual textile fibers and yarns.

Woven & Stitched flexible electronics

Functionalized fibers

Textile & Fabric substrates

Selected relevant publications:

  • → N. J. Kumar, A. Johnson, D. Roggen, and N. Münzenrieder, “A flexible capacitance strain sensor with stitched contact terminals,” Advanced Materials Technologies, vol. 8, iss. 2, 2023.
  • → L. A. Garcia-Garcia, G. Valsamakis, N. Münzenrieder, and D. Roggen, “Lessons learned in developing sensorised textiles to capture body shapes,” in Pervasive computing technologies for healthcare, 2022, p. 365–380.
  • → P. Lugoda, J. C. Costa, L. A. Garcia-Garcia, A. Pouryazdan, Z. Jocys, F. Spina, J. Salvage, D. Roggen, and N. Münzenrieder, “Coco stretch: strain sensors based on natural coconut oil and carbon black filled elastomers,” Advanced Materials Technologies, vol. 6, iss. 2, p. 2000780, 2020.
  • → P. Lugoda, J. C. Costa, C. Oliveira, L. A. Garcia-Garcia, S. D. Wickramasinghe, A. Pouryazdan, D. Roggen, T. Dias, and N. Münzenrieder, “Flexible temperature sensor integration into e-textiles using different industrial yarn fabrication processes,” Sensors, vol. 20, iss. 1, p. 73, 2019.
  • → N. Münzenrieder, C. Vogt, L. Petti, G. Salvatore, G. Cantarella, L. Büthe, and G. Tröster, “Oxide thin-film transistors on fibers for smart textiles,” Technologies, vol. 5, iss. 2, p. 31, 2017.
  • → C. Zysset, N. Munzenrieder, T. Kinkeldei, K. Cherenack, and G. Troster, “Woven active-matrix display,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 59, iss. 3, p. 721–728, 2012.
  • → K. Cherenack, C. Zysset, T. Kinkeldei, N. Münzenrieder, and G. Tröster, “Woven electronic fibers with sensing and display functions for smart textiles,” Advanced Materials, vol. 22, iss. 45, p. 5178–5182, 2010.