Textiles of today consist of much more than fabrics used for day-to-day clothing, furnishing or technical and industrial uses.  As advances in microelectronics, materials and textile engineering stretch to match our imaginations, our demands are getting more and more complex.  We want more from our fabrics than the protection and static continuous technical functions that they can deliver.  Designers, engineers, technologists, product developers, etc. are now demanding textiles that can change or adapt to our environments, communicate with a central processing system, and generally be smart and intelligent. This is the start of a new breed of 'technical' textiles.

What are Wearable Electronic & Smart Textiles?

The definitions for smart textiles are broad and generally undefined and the terms 'intelligent' and 'smart' textiles are often interchangeably used.  They are typically textiles that, like traditional textiles, are flexible and comfortable enough to be worn (e.g. as full garments, part of a garment, clothing accessories, etc.), but that also have specific functional properties as defined below:

Electronic - textiles with incorporated (micro) electronic components such as processors, sensors, etc. which can enable wireless communication with other devices.  For example, at the University of Pisa, garments that consist of components that can monitor the posture and movements of the wearer have been developed, for applications in multi-media, physical rehabilitation, etc. In many cases, electronic textiles can generate two or multi-way communication, enabling the garment to feedback information from the wearer to a central processor or other devices, and vice versa. 

Smart - textiles that can change or adapt their properties according to their environment.  For example, textiles that can increase their insulation values with a decrease in temperature, thermochromic or photochromic materials (changing of colour under different conditions), shape memory polymers and alloys (changing of shape under different conditions), and so on. 

Contact:

WEST Interest Group

Research Institute for Flexible Materials

Heriot-Watt University

Scottish Borders Campus

Netherdale

Galashiels TD1 3HF

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 1896 89 2269

Fax: +44 1896 75 8965

Email: enquiries@smartextiles.info