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In the superhero franchise Iron Man, Tony Stark invents a heavy suit of armor made from futuristic materials that empowers him to fly, fight, analyze data, and monitor his own vitals. Imagine a future where people can access some of these functionalities merely by putting on a t-shirt. Advances in electronic textiles are bringing fiction closer to reality, transforming the traditional form and function of clothing.
One such innovation, known as SWEET, not only grants its wearer the superpower of monitoring their own heart rate; it also performs the superhero role of protecting the environment at the same time, reported Technology Networks.
What are Electronic Textiles?
Electronic textiles, also called E-textiles or smart textiles, are fabrics with electronic components interwoven into them. According to the built in website, these electronic components can measure environmental factors such as temperature, light, or sound, as well as the internal vitals of the wearer. Active smart textiles can respond to changes in their surroundings, for example by shifting colors or shape or providing touch feedback.
Smart textiles can be used in varied contexts, ranging from fashion to function. For example, in a healthcare setting, they can diagnose health issues, monitor vitals, and track changes the body goes through over time. Athletes can use e-textiles when training to track their health rate and other metrics, helping them evaluate performance and reduce the risk of injuries.
In the workplace, electronic garments can detect stress, fatigue, and promote safety, while also helping emergency workers respond to issues more quickly in hazardous workplace environments.
SWEET Garments
However, Technology Networks reports, there is a dark side to electronic textiles. Because these garments contain tiny batteries and metallic components, they pose environmental risks due to potential pollution.
To address these issues, researchers from the University of Southampton and UWE Bristol designed SWEET, which stands for Smart, Wearable, and Eco-Friendly Electronic Textiles. These e-textiles are specially designed to be both sustainable and biodegradable.
SWEET, according to Technology Networks, is designed from eco-friendly materials. Its base fabric is composed of tencel, a natural and biodegradable textile derived from plant fibers. The electronic components are crafted from graphene, a carbon allotrope known for being a strong conductor, and from PEDOT:PSS, a flexible polymer blend. The researchers integrated graphene and PEDOT:PSS into the textile using inkjet printing, a precision method that is significantly less wasteful than traditional methods.
To test how green SWEET is, researchers buried it underground. After several months, the textile had degraded by half, demonstrating greater biodegradability than other electronic clothing.
Despite its eco-friendly composition, SWEET proved just as efficient and effective as traditional electronic textiles. It successfully monitored the heart rate of volunteers, reinforcing its potential for healthcare applications.
Researcher, Dr. Shaila Afroj, touted the material’s potential healthcare applications. She wrote in the study that, “Achieving reliable, industry-standard monitoring with eco-friendly materials is a significant milestone. It demonstrates that sustainability doesn’t have to come at the cost of functionality, especially in critical applications like healthcare.”
The future of electronic textiles is more than just science fiction — it’s happening now. These innovative fabrics have the potential to revolutionize peoples’ daily lives, while also saving the planet at the same time.
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