Smart clothing that transforms body warmth into energy to fuel wearable gadgets.
Envision apparel that measures your body heat, records your movements, or maintains your comfort autonomously without the necessity for an external energy supply.
Indeed, all this is quickly transitioning from fiction to fact due to the extensive research and development occurring at the crossroads of technology and fashion.
Advancements in technology are revolutionizing our lives by making our phones and household appliances more intelligent. Now, even our clothing is becoming smart, unlocking potential for a thrilling and more sustainable future.
Energy harvesting refers to the process of transforming surrounding energy into electrical energy to fuel self-sufficient electronic devices. This energy can be sourced from various mediums, such as mechanical and thermal. To develop energy-harvesting textiles, active components are typically incorporated into the textile’s surface or interwoven or stitched into it.
The potential use of intelligent fabrics could serve as a substitute for batteries, which need continuous recharging or occasional replacement due to their limited energy storage. In the context of wearable textiles, batteries are often hard, large components that must be taken out prior to cleaning, indicating the need for betterment.
Although this industry is in its infancy, it is expanding swiftly, propelled by a blend of elements such as technological progression, design, consumer need, downsizing, and governmental regulations.
Let’s delve into the fascinating advancements in the industry and the actual power embedded in our attire!
Scientists from the University of Waterloo, working together with a top institute in textile science and engineering at Jiangnan University, have developed a smart fabric that transforms body heat and sunlight into electrical energy.
This intelligent textile possesses the ability to produce energy, monitor health indicators, and track physical movement. The inbuilt sensors in the fabric can sense changes in temperature and oversee pressure, strain, and chemical makeup.
One potential use of this textile is in the creation of smart face masks. These masks could monitor the temperature and rhythm of your breathing, and also identify chemicals which could be indicative of diseases such as lung cancer or viruses. In the words of Yuning Li, the head of the Printable Electronic Materials Lab at Waterloo and a faculty member in the Chemical Engineering Department:
“Our group has developed a fabric material that offers combined functionality in sensory and self-powering abilities, moving us closer to viable uses for smart fabrics.”
The fabric, designed by our group, is stretchable, MXene-based, and thermoelectric, proficient in precisely detecting strain stimuli and temperature changes. This was achieved by constructing a layer of adhesive polydopamine (PDA) on the surface of the nylon fabric, facilitating the attachment of MXene via hydrogen bonds.
MXene has been attracting significant interest due to its distinctive combination of characteristics like layered structure, flexibility, large surface area, electrical and metallic conductivity, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, size tunability, and abundant surface chemistry. These characteristics could potentially help in identifying conditions like lung cancer and various viruses. Read More
