[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6867\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EElectronic wool to take wearable tech from the catwalk to your wardrobe\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESmart textiles, where electronics are incorporated into fabrics, have been around for some time, from sensor-laden shirts that keep you cool, to dresses packed with LEDs. Despite these innovations, even the most determined shopper would struggle to find this type of fashion on the high street.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Ana Neves, a researcher from the University of Exeter in the UK who specialises in wearable electronics, thinks bulky design is partly to blame.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The user needs to feel comfortable,\u2019 she said. \u2018Most smart textiles still rely on integrating conventional electronics onto fabrics, attaching them to the surface and removing them when the textile needs to be washed.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the E-TEX project, Dr Neves and her colleagues are using a different strategy, by building devices directly into the fibres of textiles using flexible and lightweight components. A t-shirt, for example, could be designed to monitor the wearer\u2019s heartbeat without the need for embedded electronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea for the project came about in 2014 when Dr Neves developed a technique to make textile fibres conduct electricity by coating them with graphene. She then decided to apply the method to incorporate electronics into clothing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe properties of graphene are ideal for use in textiles. The semi-metal is just a few atoms thick, making it extremely lightweight, and it can be bent and even stretched while remaining robust. It is also transparent, which makes it suitable for light-emitting displays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018It can be used to make a coat or a rucksack visible at a distance.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Ana Neves, Lecturer in Materials Engineering, University of Exeter, United Kingdom \u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFurthermore, applying a coating to fabrics should be easy to integrate into existing clothing production. \u2018If we simply add a step or two, the chances of this type of technology being adopted will be significantly higher than if we tell a manufacturer that they need to completely reformulate their production lines,\u2019 said Dr Neves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGlow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the team has built a type of fabric display using light-emitting materials. By sandwiching doped zinc sulphide between two layers of graphene \u2013 which act as conductors \u2013 the researchers made it glow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey then incorporated this set-up into an array of fibres, structured like a woven textile, to create a fabric wherein the intersection of fibres lit up like pixels when plugged into a power source. Changing the light-emitting materials produces different colours.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It can be used to make a coat or a rucksack visible at a distance,\u2019 said Dr Neves. \u2018For example, if a child is lost, activating the light emitting fibres would increase visibility, helping search and rescue teams to spot them from a helicopter.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the future, the E-TEX team hopes to harvest energy from a person\u2019s movements so that the fabrics can be self-powered. As flexible, plastic solar cells become more efficient, they could also be incorporated as a power source.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Henry Yi Li, professor of textile science and engineering from the University of Manchester, UK, \u2018e-textiles have become one of the major focuses in wearable technology\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut one of the problems with integrating electronics into clothing is connecting them all together. Traditional wires are bulky and don\u2019t fit seamlessly into fabric. Prof. Li is part of a project called ETexWeld, which is trying to better incorporate electronic components such as sensors, circuits, apps and power sockets into clothing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe and his colleagues are starting from square one. \u2018We are developing electronic components by starting with yarns or individual fibres,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have\u0026nbsp;been experimenting with different strategies that could be either used on their own or combined. Developing conductive fibres and yarns is one solution, as microelectronic components and circuits can then be woven, knitted, sewn or embroidered into the fabric. Printing conductive ink onto a textile is another possibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWashable\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the big challenges is protecting the electronics so that they are washable and can withstand sweat and moisture, as well as the mechanical stresses and strains due to body motion and physical activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Electronic elements and connecting wiring can be encapsulated and protected by welding insulation tapes and\/or embroidery techniques,\u2019 said Prof. Li.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe focus of the project so far has been to make a smart uniform for fireman that integrates the required functionality while putting out a blaze. For this, sensors are needed to measure temperature and humidity, while a fireman\u2019s location and movement must also be relayed to other members of the team \u2013 and that would need to be communicated wirelessly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team has developed an algorithm that can determine whether a fireman is in danger or not by integrating data collected from different parts of the suit. It can also predict whether certain work patterns are likely to be risky.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project involves an international team, with members in Turkey, Greece, France, England, Slovenia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which has allowed it to tap into the expertise of each region. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, for example, companies are already manufacturing and selling e-textile products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The collaboration certainly helps us to move from lab work to developing commercial prototypes,\u2019 said Prof. Li.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EHow mobility can help a career\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EBoth Dr Neves and Prof. Li were recipients of MSCA grants to promote researcher mobility. Dr Neves, who began her career in her native country of Portugal, said her individual fellowship enabled her to transition from being a postdoctoral supervisee to joining the ranks of other independent, academic researchers. She said her fellowship was critical to her appointment as a permanent lecturer at the University of Exeter in the UK. This position was \u2018something I could only dream of in Portugal\u2019, she said, where \u2018career perspectives there are rather limited.\u2019 Dr Neves said the research budget also enabled her to participate in conferences worldwide, giving her research greater visibility and connecting her to future collaborators.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAll research in this article is funded by the EU. 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