Smart fabrics are becoming more accessible and understandable. Some varieties have long been used to sew not only protective equipment, but also things for everyday wardrobe.

whims of nature, unpleasant odors, dirt, bacteria - there are a lot of troubles that smart clothes can deal with. What does modern textile “know how”?

Some properties of clothes made from smart fabrics

Materials of the 21st century are increasingly claiming the role of a second skin. They have learned to adapt to changes in the environment, as well as to protect themselves and the owner from various adverse effects.

Perhaps the most inconvenience to a person is caused by temperature changes, heat and frost. So ability to thermoregulate has become one of the most important qualities that the creators are trying to endow with new types of textiles for shirts, jackets, trousers and even socks. Smart things themselves take care that you are comfortable with any readings of the thermometer.

Another annoying factor for many is sweat. From him, the body becomes wet and sticky, and those around him wince from a specific smell. To combat these inconveniences, breathable and scented fabrics. The former do not allow droplets of sweat to accumulate under clothing, while the latter eliminate the “sporty” scent.

Is it not the smell that irritates you more, but the appearance of yellowish spots on clothes? Then consider getting a pair of smart t-shirts.from self-cleaning fabrics. No sweat, no coffee, no ketchup can ruin such a thing.

Only bacteria, fungi or annoying insects can be more insidious than ordinary dirt. They can not only spoil the mood, but also undermine health. Therefore, smart fabrics with antibacterial, repellent and other similar properties.

The term of their "performance" is longer than that of mosquito sprays or antimicrobial impregnations, and the beneficial characteristics are much more pronounced than that of bamboo textiles, which are so fashionable now.

What else do the creators of smart clothes dream of? Of course, about her not crumpled, protected from fire, water or wind while remaining breathable memorized and retained the form, which is attached to it when sewing. This is also possible!

Textiles can be “taught” a lot by using specific types of raw materials and special technologies.

Experiments with the composition of smart clothes

In order for the fabric to absorb unpleasant odors, Taiwan decided to add fibers made from... coffee grounds. The result exceeded expectations: a material was obtained that protects not only from fetid odors, but also from UV rays.

For getting antibacterial effect useseaweed. The fibers enriched with such raw materials allow the production of clothing that takes care of the skin: it helps cells skin regenerate, nourish them, fight bacteria and skin diseases.

If they want to get a fabric that is more resistant to creasing, they add to the yarn polyester fibers or use resin. So you can even help linen to wrinkle less.

New technologies for creating textiles

In the sports-extreme environment especially quickly gained popularity membrane materials. Thanks to their microporous structure, they provide decent thermoregulation and double protection against moisture: such a fabric repels raindrops, and absorbs sweat from the skin and brings it out.

Another trending trend isthe use of special weaves of threads. For example, if you combine hydrophilic and hydrophobic yarn, you can ensure the transport of moisture from the surface of the body through a smart fabric. And if you use the RipStop technology in the manufacture of the fabric and connect thin threads with denser and thicker ones, you can get a particularly strong material - it will be difficult to tear or stretch it.

But research in the field of microencapsulation and nanotechnology has become especially in demand. Thanks to tiny capsules with active substances and nanoparticles of useful materials, the fabric acquires various beneficial effects.

Microencapsulation method allows you to "hide" smart particles in protective shells and place them on the surface of the fibers so that when shaken or put on, the microcapsules burst, giving the particles freedom of action. If aromatic substances are hidden behind the shell, they will fill the dress with fragrance. Paraffin will absorb excess heat from the body and return it when it gets cold. And vitamins imperceptibly for you will strengthen immunity.

The mechanism of nanotechnologies is, in a sense, even simpler: particles of microscopic size are “embedded” into the tissue structure. So the properties of the material change at the molecular level, and the useful characteristics become constant. The impregnation will be washed off, the nanoparticles will remain in place. The advantage is obvious.

Today, many designers are trying to surprise consumers with new original models. Of course, not everyone does it brightly and beautifully, but in each fashion season there are interesting developments. Recently, in addition to casual clothing options, there are magnificent models made from innovative materials.

An example would be fabrics based on photo- or thermochromic effect. We already know how bright, colorful and gradient have become fashionable. These trends are quite remarkable, extraordinarily colorful, sometimes seductive, and sometimes just funny.

What do fabrics with a photochromic or thermochromic effect look like, and what is so remarkable about them.

"Smart" fabric, as well as clothes created from it, has unique properties: due to the presence of special pigments in the fibers, it reacts to exposure or temperature. The fibers of such fabrics can change color, shine and shimmer. In this dress, no one will go unnoticed in the crowd.

Photos cannot convey the beauty of these fabrics, so looking at photos on the Internet can be disappointing.

"Smart" textiles (Smart textile) can reversibly change color under the influence of heat (thermochromic fabrics) or light (photochromic fabrics), as well as glow in the dark for a long time. To obtain such effects, special microencapsulated preparations are applied to the tissue.

1. Thermochromic effect. For example, if a thermochromic preparation is applied to a fabric, then at the points of contact with the human body, under the influence of its heat, the fabric changes its color. But as soon as the tissue is removed from the body, even for a short distance, the color is restored. It turns out an interesting effect - you go in blue trousers, which change their color in different places, for example, to pink. And so, as you move, the play of colors continues.

And if a photochromic composition is applied to the fabric, then the color of the clothes will change at the moment when you go out into the street in it. In other words, the color will change under the influence sunlight. What color will your clothes be? You will know about this in advance, when buying. But the expected color depends on the photomicrocapsules introduced into the tissue fibers. Upon returning to the room, the original color will be restored.

A special phosphor (a non-toxic analogue of phosphorus) is applied to the fabric, capable of glowing in the dark. A special pigment is used as a phosphor, which accumulates light energy and then glows in the dark for a long time. Phosphors are different, and therefore their glow time is different. They are charged from any source of light, both natural and artificial.

All fabrics containing phosphors have been safety tested and do not contain harmful substances, and even have other useful properties- antimicrobial and deodorizing. Glow in the dark products are already on sale. If you light T-shirts or T-shirts for 5-7 minutes with any light source, in the dark they will glow for 20-30 minutes. You can also “draw” or “write” on them with a flashlight.

In the manufacture of these fabrics by dyeing or printing, the resistance of the paint to the action of light, moisture, friction and other influences is always studied. Such fabrics tend to have the same advantages and disadvantages as ordinary fabrics, that is, with friction or after repeated washes, the pigment is gradually erased. Another thing is fabrics in which microcapsules are introduced into the fibers. They eliminate many of the disadvantages inherent in the surface application of pigments on the fabric.

Today, luminous threads for knitting and embroidery are being created, knitwear and knitted fabrics from such threads. So when the models walk the runway in the dark, the clothes and embroidery glow. Imagine that in the dark at a party, you will always stand out.

An interesting development is the application of digital prints on fabric. Images of flowers, birds, butterflies are obtained as if they were alive. Or amazingly beautiful light lace, made using laser technology, extraordinarily durable double-sided jacquard fabrics, created using the latest technology.

Designers use every opportunity to create amazing new generation clothing. We will talk more than once about the beauty of new high-tech fabrics, because the fashion industry more and more often includes materials with fantastic properties.

After 29 years, the prediction of the film "Back to the Future" has come true: "smart" clothing has become a part of our lives. Now on store shelves you can find growing jackets, healing T-shirts and even Marty McFly sneakers that tie their own shoelaces. The rise of “smart” things in the market is also confirmed by analysts: data from Juniper Research suggests that sales of innovative clothing will continue to grow and reach $ 1 billion by 2020. And over time, such outfits will turn from innovation into everyday technology for work and life.

The boom in the production of "smart" things came in the nineties. Then designers joined the production of innovative clothes. The Philips and Levi Strauss jacket was the first commercial product at the intersection of fashion and science. A player, a cell phone and a headset were built into it. At the beginning of the 2000s, more complex developments appeared, but they remained at the prototype stage. For example, the Cyberia Survival Suit was equipped with heating elements, sensors that measure heart rate, temperature, humidity and body position. But the design was too complex and heavy to wear.

Today, the developers of "smart" clothing are looking for a balance between style, convenience and manufacturability. There are things with built-in sensors and computers that are invisible to the wearer of clothing, and they are even sewn from “wiser” textiles.

caring clothes

One of the directions in the development of "smart" clothing is safety: technologies are created to protect people from accidents at work. For example, the crew of the Chinese bulk carrier Great Intelligence wear smart life jackets. They will tell the operator if a sailor has fallen overboard and help determine where he is. With such a vest, a person will not get lost even at night or in a storm, and the captain will be aware of the situation on the ship.

Injuries can be obtained not only in conditions of increased danger, but also during banal sports. Stretching after improper running is a common occurrence among professionals and beginners. To help reduce injury, Heapsylon has developed socks that monitor foot and ankle stress during exercise. Pressure sensors are sewn into the socks: they collect data while running and immediately transfer them to the mobile application.

The use of smart clothes was also found in children's clothes. To help the restless parents of babies, the developers of Mimo came up with a "smart" baby bodysuit. Through a mobile application, the body informs parents whether the child is sleeping or awake and in what position he is. If the baby cries, parents will hear it even at a distance. A microphone is sewn into the bodysuit, which transmits all sounds to the mobile phone of mom or dad.

"Smart" materials

In the late 1990s, MIT scientist Remy Post created the first generation of smart textiles. He introduced microchips into the fabric and at the same time retained the properties of the material: lightness, elasticity and softness. Today, microprocessors, electroluminescent particles and various sensors are woven into fabric fibers to change the habitual properties of clothing and increase its functionality.

According to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, 22.3 million smart fabric items will be shipped in 2021.

According to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, 22.3 million smart fabric items will be shipped in 2021. These include a jacket from Google and Levi's made of Jacquard material. The fabric allows you to control your phone remotely - just put the gadget in your jacket pocket. The innovative material is made from conductive threads. They are sewn into the surface of the jacket and make the fabric sensory. You need to touch the sensitive area on the cuff to answer a call or turn on the music on your phone.

"Smart" materials will help save your money. So, the sports brand inov-8, together with scientists from the University of Manchester, created "eternal" sneakers. Manufacturers have added one of the most durable materials on the planet, graphene, to the rubber sole. He made shoes twice as elastic and more resistant to wear. And when the graphene outsole wears out, you can upgrade it so you don't have to buy new sneakers.

You can save not only on shoes, but also on outerwear. American startup Otherlab has created a jacket that thickens when it's cold outside, and becomes thinner when it gets warmer. It turns out that it can be worn in any season and not spend money on purchases. The fabric from which the jacket is made consists of alternating layers with different properties. Each layer reacts differently to changes in temperature. Some shrink when cooled, and the fabric forms "air pockets". Others expand if it gets warmer - the material becomes flat.

Computers inside

Brookings analysts consider the aging of the population to be the driver for the development of the market for “smart” things. Already by 2020, the clothing market for the sick and the elderly will grow to $58.8 billion, according to a Statista report. One of the gadgets of this sector is a pair of B-shoes that keep a person from falling. The shoes have a built-in microprocessor, sensors, movement device and batteries. When the sensor and algorithm detect an imbalance in the wearer's balance, they cause the device to step back. So they help a person to maintain balance.

To ensure that people with illnesses receive timely medical care, scientists from the University of Madrid have developed a "smart" t-shirt. The principle of its work is similar to that of a technological vest: it monitors the health of the person wearing it around the clock and can even call an ambulance itself.

The smartwear market has just started to develop, but companies like Apple, Google, Levi's and Samsung have set trends in this industry. Juniper Research analysts are confident that in the coming years, clothing will become not just a wardrobe item, but a technological extension of ourselves.

The most practical today is a novelty in the world of furniture fabrics IQ cloth. This amazing material will allow you to finally breathe freely. Remember, there are always many risks for your new sofa in your home: artist babies, pets or cheerful groups of friends and acquaintances. The IQ collection is developed using nanotechnology, which protects its structure from any contamination and from the claws of cats and dogs. Scratching claws, dirty paws, your sofa, upholstered in smart fabric, will stand up in any situation. How to remove marks from a marker and a fountain pen, juice, wine or paints and other children's pranks from furniture? Smart upholstery can easily handle all this - just wipe the dirt with a wet sponge or damp cloth, and the sofa is clean again! And what is most pleasant, now in large and cheerful companies do not be afraid to relax on bright sofas, they will retain a fresh look and cleanliness for as long as possible.

The IQ upholstery of the sofa is really a dream of any housewife, and the nanotechnologies used increase the environmental friendliness of the furniture. The essence of innovation is to protect the internal structure of the fabric from any, even microparticles of dirt and bacteria. The high environmental friendliness of the materials used in the production of IQ is confirmed by the Oeko-Tex certificate. The durability of such furniture upholstery is also impressive. Your children will grow up, you will get tired of the sofa, but it will still be clean, tidy and fresh! For the same reason, smart fabric is ideal for both furniture upholstery and car interior upholstery; it will endure any load and outlive the car itself.

How to remove stains and dirt from furniture? How to properly clean the fabric on the sofa?

The resulting stain must be immediately blotted. Spots of this type are removed effortlessly with a highly absorbent and completely white cloth. Try to dry the wet area as much as possible. Gently dampen a clean cloth with water or a light soapy water, using circular smoothing movements from the edge of the stain to its center, wipe the surface.

Be sure to clean from the edge to the center to avoid the penetration of dirt into the structure of the fabric and, as a result, the expansion of the stain area. The cloth used for cleaning should be changed after each manipulation. At the end of cleaning, blot the spot with a dry cloth.

After drying, treat the cleaning area with a soft brush to restore the pile to its original appearance.

REMEMBER! If you do not remove stains immediately, this will make subsequent cleaning very difficult. Periodically clean the furniture with a vacuum cleaner. This will help keep your furniture in good condition for years to come.

Stress resistant fabrics

Stress-resistant fabrics with " Anti-claw» have a high-strength composition and are not afraid of the claws of pets. Dogs and cats quickly lose interest in furniture made from stress-resistant fabric, because. can't sharpen claws. And your smart sofa will retain its original look and elegance for years to come.

Electronic engineers from Zurich have invented smart textiles that have electronic components such as sensors and conductive threads woven into them. At the same time, the fabric can be mass-produced on conventional looms.

Researchers have been experimenting with smart textiles for quite some time by combining standard electronic components. However, mostly electronic parts were attached or simply sewn into old clothes clothing, such as coats or T-shirts, eventually all efforts failed due to one major drawback: they were difficult to wash. In addition, it takes a lot self made to make them, which increases the cost of clothing.

Scientists at the Computing Laboratory of the Technical University of Zurich, led by Professor Gerard Trester, however, have gone further: they have developed a new technology to apply thin-film electronics and miniaturize commercially available chips to plastic fibers. Researchers eventually succeeded in combining a large number of microchips and other microelectronic elements directly into the structure of the material. To weave the E-fibers into conventional threads, the scientists at the Zürech University of Technology used conventional textile machines.

Despite the presence of electronic components, the fabric is elegant and foldable. In addition, it feels like normal material, which means that clothes made from it could be worn in daily life. And the beauty of the microchips that sit on the plastic strips is that they are encapsulated, which means the fabric can be washed several times a day. washing machine using detergent, which does not damage the e-fibers.

The electronic fabric of Trester's band is still tape-like. However, researchers are aiming to develop smart textiles in any size to suit the needs of the clothing industry.

First, the researchers demonstrated two objects. tablecloth with temperature and humidity sensors; and a T-shirt that measures body temperature. They sewed both products out of smart textiles and paired them with measuring devices to demonstrate how it works. One of the main problems is still the delivery of electricity,” says project manager Kanigand Cherenak, senior assistant manager at the Computing Lab. After all, in order to fulfill all the requirements, the fabric needs electricity.

TU Zurich researchers understand that smart textiles are not new; however, the way they place electronic components in tissue is novel, especially since the material's functional groups must be mass-produced to make the method industrially attractive.

Kanigand Cherenak also sees numerous applications for hybrid tissues in heart control; even keyboards or monitors in everyday clothes could be areas where smart textiles can be applied.

Sources: finnco-mebel.ru, eva.ru, umnye-divany.ru, www.ntv.ru, patent.ucoz.ru

Thule Society

Mysterious places on earth - facts and legends

House of Winchesters

Knights Templar

The best beaches in Puglia

For sea lovers, Puglia is ready to offer a huge selection of beautiful beaches; there are stretches of coastline for every taste. One of the most requested...

space elevator

In St. Petersburg, 83-year-old engineer Yuri Artsutanov, the inventor of the space elevator, disappeared. He left home on 2nd Murinsky Prospekt in Vyborgsky...

munites

Most totalitarian groups do not seek self-destruction, but to make their existence as long as possible. The most numerous and...

Fourth dimension

Today, many physicists believe that our world is not three-dimensional, as we perceive it, but four-dimensional in relation to place. Fourth...

pink lakes

Empress Catherine II surprised foreign guests and ambassadors with unusual pale crimson salt, served with a meal. Foreigners remained under deep...

A fabric made of Teflon, copper, wool and photosensitive fibers allows you to convert the energy of the sun and mechanical movement into electricity.

Technological progress at the beginning of the 20th century. not only gave us airplanes, space, and so on, he also pretty much pushed the imagination of writers and artists. Much of what we dreamed about in those years is now a daily routine for us, but many ideas have remained in the world of pure fantasy - including those related to clothing and related devices.

Examples of using hybrid smart fabric: capacitor charging, charging mobile phone, clock power, and water electrolysis (Illustration by Jun Chen et al., Nature Energy 1: 16138 (2016). http://www.nature.com/articles/nenergy2016138)

With the development of various technologies, such as a three-dimensional printer and complex materials, fantasies about "smart" clothes are becoming more real, and we can even buy sneakers with self-tying laces, but, say, clothes with built-in autonomous electronics, we can only dream of . However, progress is for that and progress to turn dreams into reality.

Jun Chen ( Jun Chen), and Juan ( Yi Huang) and their colleagues in the US and China have developed a "smart" hybrid fabric that converts the energy of the sun and mechanical movement into electricity. It consists of light polymer fibers solar panel”, woven with triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG). Triboelectricity refers to the induction of a charge due to friction; so, for example, we charge amber when we rub it with wool.

How is this fabric made? Composite polymer light-sensitive fibers and Teflon "ribbons" serve as warp threads, and copper and colored wool threads serve as weft threads. Everything is intertwined together on a loom in plain weaving (threads intersect through one), with alternating sections of "solar" fibers and TENG strips, or in checkerboard pattern. The final material is obtained with a thickness of about 0.3 mm.

Photosensitive fibers consist of a conductive core and sheath, between which are layers of zinc oxide and dye. When sunlight is absorbed on the surface between zinc oxide and the dye, electron-hole pairs are formed (where the hole is a positive charge carrier). The holes are sent inside the fiber and through the conductor in the core go to the electrode. In the meantime, electrons pass from the surface of the fiber to the copper filaments that intertwine the light-sensitive fiber, and "flock" to the oppositely charged electrode. In this way solar energy converted to electricity.

"Tapes" of Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene), applied to a thin conductor on both sides, serve as the basis for TENG. The copper strands that intertwine them also come into contact with the Teflon during movement (i.e. folds, tension and pressure on the material). The difference in electron affinity energy between copper and fluorine causes the electrons to jump from the copper surface to the fluorine atoms. As a result, the copper wire is positively charged, and the Teflon strip is negatively charged, after which the electrons “flow” along the conductor to the common electrode.

Materials scientists have tested different types hybrid “fabric” weaving and came to the conclusion that with plain weaving, the overlap area of ​​light-sensitive fibers is minimal, which leads to an increase in the useful surface for energy collection. As for the TENG, as in the case of the "solar" part of the fabric, plain weaving allows you to collect the energy of mechanical movement most efficiently. It also turned out that clapping the hand produces the most current power compared to bending the material.

Of the possible directions of tissue bending, the most “powerful” in the triboelectric sense is the bend along the Teflon strips. This must be taken into account when cutting to maximize power generation. In addition, it turned out that the “solar” sections and the TENG are very different in internal resistance, therefore, for optimal power, fragments of the “smart” fabric must be connected using diodes that limit the current in one of the directions and prevent the TENG from short circuiting.

"Field" studies have shown that the efficiency of tribological energy harvesting decreases with air humidity, but recovers when the fabric is dried. Exposure to high air humidity can be reduced to zero by laminating TENG, although this will complicate the process of creating a fabric. The researchers wove a patch of hybrid fabric measuring 4x1 cm - it turned out to be enough to charge an industrial capacitor with a capacity of 2 millifarads with a voltage of up to 2 volts in 1 minute under intense lighting, which can be used to power electronic clock or charging a mobile phone.

The full results of this work are published in nature energy. The authors of the article suggest sewing smart fabric on flags, tents, using its energy to electrolyze water (an alternative to the method proposed in the article about making clothes with built-in electronics.

The problem of powering "wearable" electronics is closely related to the sustainable production of electricity as such. Of course, this is a fairly global task, but, as often happens, particular solutions to specific problems can have far-reaching consequences.

A flexible and efficient fabric capable of harvesting energy from the environment for "electronic" clothing or footwear may be such a case. In general, there are a lot of applications of the “woven electric generator”, and the question “what else can be done with such a fabric?” gives us a good reason to re-read the science fiction of the first half of the last century.