Invisibility cloaks are often highlighted in science fiction, featuring advanced technology. While the possibility of similar advancements in smart clothing in the near future is not ruled out, there are equally fascinating applications on the horizon. In addition to aesthetic features like color-shifting, researchers are progressing towards a new era of smart textiles that can adjust their structure to regulate body temperature. A recent breakthrough comes from a team of experts at MIT in the United States, unveiling a material with this remarkable capability.
Smart textiles that adapt to environmental conditions
Many of us have likely faced the challenge of wearing either too many or too few clothes when heading out. MIT proposes a solution to these weather-related dilemmas through the use of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers, known as FibeRobo. These fibers can regulate body temperature, offering a promising solution to address such weather changes.
What are their characteristics?
The key feature of smart textiles is their ability to sense the environment and respond to stimuli, typically achieved passively or by using external energy sources. MIT’s fibers belong to the category of passive smart textiles, contracting autonomously in response to a drop in temperature to improve thermal insulation. As the ambient temperature rises, the fabric returns to its original structure without the need for electricity.
This smart fabric can also work in conjunction with other textiles, including electrically conductive fibers, allowing for electrical signals to selectively contract or expand the fabric. For example, researchers envision sportswear garments like bras with fabric that contracts before a training session.
The unique properties of liquid crystals, capable of flowing like a liquid or forming crystalline structures, are essential to this functionality. By integrating these crystals into an elastomer network, mimicking the stretch and contraction of a rubber band, developers have created a fabric that responds to heat, reconfiguring the elastomer network to contract in the presence of heat. The manufacturing process enables precise tuning of the thermal response to adapt to body temperature and desired levels of contraction or expansion.
Despite challenges in production, the research team successfully manufactured the LCE-based fibers using 3D printing and laser-cutting techniques. This method can produce up to one kilometer of fiber in a single day, offering potential for widespread use.
MIT’s smart material does not require sensors, circuits, or electronic devices to deliver its advanced functionalities. Additionally, researchers anticipate relatively low production costs, and the fibers can seamlessly integrate into existing manufacturing systems without requiring new machinery.
Main functions of smart textiles
Alongside sustainability, the textile industry is shifting towards smart garments. It is essential to differentiate between wearables, like patches integrated into T-shirts, and smart fabrics—textile fibers intrinsic to the garment’s structure, manufactured similarly to conventional fibers like wool or cotton. Labs are focusing on five fundamental functions, utilizing passive or active technologies:
- Sensors: Detect changes in temperature, light, heart rate, pressure, or humidity.
- Communication: Transmit information collected by sensors wirelessly or through circuits.
- Storage: Store energy within fibers for use by integrated systems.
- Data processing: Possess computational signal processing capability.
- Actuators: Convert energy into vibration, sound, or structural changes, like MIT’s thermal fabrics.
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