Recently, Yang Jiajie, a PhD student in electrical engineering at the University of Cambridge, jointly developed a 46-inch woven display that integrates smart sensors, energy harvesting and storage directly into the fabric to output and fold color images.
Figure | Knitted displays (Source: Nature Communications)
This is the first time that a fully fiber-based manufacturing method has been used to integrate scalable, large-area, complex systems into textiles.
On February 10, the paper was titled "Smart textile lighting/display system with multifunctional fibre devices for large scale smart home and IoT." applications) was published in Nature Communications.
(Source: Nature Communications)
Scientists have discovered for many years that integrating special fibers into textiles through traditional weaving and knitting processes allows them to be incorporated into everyday objects, thus opening up potential applications. However, the manufacture of these fibers has been limited by size, and the related technology and weaving process are not compatible.
To improve this problem, Yang Jiajie and his team coated the fiber components with materials that could withstand enough stretching so that they could be used in textile manufacturing equipment.
Figure | Yang Jiajie (Source: Yang Jiajie)
At the same time, the team also woven a number of fiber-based components to improve reliability and durability. Finally, they used conductive adhesives and laser welding techniques to connect multiple fiber optic components together. The holistic approach builds on the convergence of micro and nano technologies, advanced displays, sensors, energy and technical textile manufacturing.
Combining these technologies, combined with a standard, scalable textile manufacturing process, multiple functions can be integrated into a large piece of woven fabric. The resulting fabric can be used for displays, monitoring various inputs or storing energy, for example.
When the monitor projects a color image, it can bend like normal cloth, even when the image is being played. The sensors and antennas inside are also made up of fibers that can detect RF signals, touch, light, and temperature, and conserve energy while transmitting wireless power.
The reviewers believe that the fully operational textile system presented this time is a revolutionary application in the smart home and the Internet of Things. Among them, many discrete devices have demonstrated the novelty of material technology and manufacturing technology, including display, power transmission, touch sensing, photoelectric detection, signal monitoring and energy storage.
Looking back on the research process, Yang Jiajie said that the deepest impression was the hand-woven fabric. To combine the individual parts into the fabric, the team purchased a hand loom. The loom is simple and consists of wood, a very original material.
Although everyone was proficient in the operation of expensive precision instruments, the loom was used for the first time. When dividing the line, hundreds of thin lines are separated one by one, and then one by one through the hole. When weaving, not only do you have to intersperse the shuttle back and forth, but you also have to constantly adjust it manually to ensure that the finished fabric is evenly tightened.
Although the principle is very simple, to weave a neat piece of cloth, it is very difficult to test skill and patience, and a towel-sized cloth has to be woven for several days. In order to make the woven soft textile material more artistic, they also weave the raw edge into a tassel knot.
The researchers say the display has great potential in smart homes and the Internet of Things, and paves the way for the next generation of e-textile applications, including energy-efficient buildings that can generate and store their own energy, IoT devices, distributed sensor networks, and interactive displays.
It is not difficult to imagine that in the near future, a pair of curtains hanging in the home will actually be a tv set or monitor. When you wake up in the morning, you can display information such as temperature, weather, and even provide indoor lighting on rainy days, thus simulating natural sunlight. Thanks to its flexible and abrasion-resistant textile properties, the window can be folded freely when it is opened.
Imagine again, when exhibitors go to the exhibition, they need to print the poster in advance, and if they want to display the video, they have to transport it in advance and set up the display. Thanks to the bendability and curlability of the textile system, you only need to prepare electronic documents and bring a lightweight textile display to the exhibition hall. For exhibitors, the display can also be interacted with via an integrated touch sensor.
It is also reported that the prototype can not only be used as a display of color images like a television, but also capture heart activity and display it as an electrocardiogram.
Currently, the team is working with collaborators in Europe to make the technique available for everyday objects. They will also integrate sustainable materials into fibrous components to provide a new type of energy textile system. This flexible and functional smart fabric can eventually be made into batteries, supercapacitors, solar panels and other devices.
-End-
reference:
1、Choi, H.W., Shin, DW., Yang, J. et al. Smart textile lighting/display system with multifunctional fibre devices for large scale smart home and IoT applications. Nat Commun13, 814 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28459-6