The integration of smart textiles enabling a non- invasive approach in monitoring the user’s vitals and activities Prof. Lieva Van Langenhove Department of textiles
Components Sensors and actuators Communication devices Energy supply Data processing Connections and interconnections Miniaturisation, packaging, integration, transformation into textiles Concepts and electro/photo active materials
Why textiles? All around Versatile Light weight Large contact area with body Comfortable Easy to use
Electro conductive textiles Stainless steel Kevlar coated with KnittedWovennon woven polypyrrol copper gold
Effects from nano to macro
Conductive knitted textiles as sensor TextrodesRespibelt
EMG monitoring Myography for stress measurement Contactless Professional use EMG sensors embroidered laminated (
Pressure sensors Double layer fabric: No contact contact Quantum tunneling effect
Any mechanism that changes conductivity is exploitable for sensors Carbon nanotubes for conductivity Fibre expansion changes conductivity: Extension Heating Humidity Chemicals (E. Devaux ENSAIT)
Humidity control Sensors: Absorption: Thermoresponsive gels Supporting design
Optical sensor Signal A’ Smart interface Signal B Textile fibre Sensor/ Processing unit Signal A filter
Smart interface: active dyes skin pH days Skin pH-variation after burn wound L. Van der Schueren, K. De Clerck
Communication Within components Between components in a suit ‣ Conductive fibres ‣ Optical fibres With the wearer: keyboard, display Wide environment: Inductive (embroidery) Antenna (printing)
Data processing: Motherboard
Fibre transistor Conductive core: gate Insulating coating Semiconductor coating Electrode: source Electrode: drain Semiconductor Source Insulator Gate Drain OFET: organic field effect transistor
Coating: from dip to padding
OFET textile integration Weaving structure Right patterns Right contacts No falso contacts Stable contacts 100µm Gate source drain
PEDOT based battery
Printed battery: results
Energy from light: PV Solar bags
Energy from motion: piezo electrics Deformation leads to E field Needs large surface, no thickness PVDF Challenges: Materials Concepts Production (poling) Electrode Piezo electric layer Electrode
Smart textile research Based on (semi)conductive materials and structures Smart dyes Conceptual design Modelling and simulation Manufacturing Testing
Inner garment
Outer garment Accelerometers GPS Antenna Textile Antenna Flexible Battery External Temperature Alarm Data Recording Processing Transmission
Victim patch Parameter Heart beat rate Respiratory rate Body Temperature Cfr. inner garment
Key issues Comfort Working conditions – relevant parameters Effective alarm generation System maintenance Ease of use Weight Cost Robustness Energy constraints Long range transmission
Monitoring Centre
Accelerometers GPS Antenna Textile Antenna Flexible Battery External Temperature Alarm Data Recording Processing Transmission 150€ 25€ >600€ 1500€
Coordination action for enhancing the breakthrough of intelligent textile systems (e-textiles and wearable Microsystems) COLAE: Commercialisation Clusters of OLAE