E-TEX · All-organic devices in textiles for wearable electronics
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2016-10-01 → 2018-09-30
- EU contribution
- €195,455
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
All-organic devices in textiles for wearable electronics
Smart textiles are an emerging field of research in wearable technology, and since the concept of textiles is much broader than clothes and garments, the range of applications includes healthcare, military, automotive, construction, packaging etc. Most smart textiles are based on simply mounting off the shelf hardware components in fabrics. One of the main limitations of this approach is the integration. Hardware components are rigid and heavy, and therefore not very compatible with textiles. The issue of integration was one of the main aims of this project, bringing electronics and fabrics closer together. This has been done by building the electronic devices directly on textile fibres using flexible and lightweight materials that can still guarantee the electronic properties needed for different type of devices. When we think about wearable technology we might visualise watches or bracelets, but the applications are way beyond modern portable electronics. We could potentially harvest energy from the temperature or movement of the user and power their wearable devices. These devices can be sensors monitoring one’s health and transmit data to a carer or doctor, and this can potentially save lives. This is important for remote healthcare at home or at the hospital environment, but also to monitor first responders in an emergency, being exposed to stress and harmful conditions. The approach in this project consisted in exploring materials that combine outstanding mechanical flexibility, ambient stability, and desirable electronic properties for different functionalities. The main material used was graphene, the “miracle material of the 21st century”. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms with high conductivity and optical transparency. The overall objectives of E-TEX are the development of wearable electronic devices build directly on textile fibres. The first half of the project went on as planned, optimising and widening the conductive fibres using different polymeric materials and different types of coatings. However, several issues caused the second half to deviate slightly from the initial objectives in terms of the type of devices achieved. Nonetheless we were able to demonstrate several types of wearable electronic devices: energy harvesting generators, touch and position sensors, light-emitting devices, and strain, temperature and humidity sensors. In conclusion, the E-TEX project was highly successful, and the results will be taken forward in future project opportunities. It was an invaluable opportunity to establish the recipient of the Individual Fellowship as an independent and recognised researcher in my field and move on to a permanent position in the host institution.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
We are surrounded by fabrics, the carpet floors in our homes or offices, the seats in our cars, and obviously all our garments and clothing accessories. There are already examples of smart textiles in garments for monitoring physiological and biomechanical signals. However, the manufacturing schemes for current applications rely mostly on the integration of off-the-shelf electronic components mounted on a textile substrate. Such components are silicon-based, thus unsuitable for applications where flexibility and fault-tolerance are required. The incorporation of current technological items, such as communication or tracking devices on fabrics would certainly be a game-changer in modern technology. This innovative project aims at building electronic devices directly on textile fibres which can be woven into fabrics. Two types of key electronic devices will be targeted, field-effect transistors and loudspeakers. The approach described herein relies in using unconventional materials in electronics: organic and molecular materials, particularly graphene and its derivatives. These materials overcome many limitations of current technology, namely allowing flexibility, elasticity and transparency.This breakthrough will allow the development of completely new approaches for integrated electronics, capable to be embedded into our everyday clothing. Since textiles are so present in society, these devices would transform our clothing into mobile phones, displays with electronic newspapers or GPS-activated maps. Establishing the foundations for this future in wearable electronics is also essential for other societal needs, such as biomedical monitoring, communication tools for sensory impaired people and personal security.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER · ExeterCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union