Clothes Embedded With A Computer, Smartphone And MP3 Player Now Possible
The field of wearable electronics has been developing at a really fast pace. A team of researchers from University of Exeter led by Prof. Monica Craciun has developed a novel technique that makes way for flexible, transparent Graphene electrodes to be embedded in cloth fibres. This means that smartphones, computers and MP3 players can now reside inside the comfort of your clothes. We all know that smartwatches and smart eye wear is already catching up with the needs of common man. With the provision of easy-to-use, lightweight electronics comfortably embedded into your shirts and sleeves, the applications of this domain are only set to widen. What we are looking at is essentially a textile electrode embedded in a yarn. Those with sensory impairment can imagine having communication and personal security features as a part of the clothes they wear daily.
At the core of this technology is 'Graphene', the thinnest material known to man that can conduct electricity. The new research from Exeter University has come up with a new type of this material called 'monolayer graphene' that exhibits amazing mechanical, electrical and optical properties, making it a hotbed for devising transparent electrodes. Manufactured using the chemical vapor depostion (CVD) method, the monolayer graphene was transferred from copper foils to polypropylene fibre.
Speaking of fibre, even though we are all surrounded with it in various forms such as cushions, garments, car accessories, curtains and what not, embedding electronics in it is a big challenge because the researchers want to make them conductive to electricity while keeping the lightweightedness and comfort of the cloth intact.
The Exeter based team's new technique makes it possible to coat fibre with graphene so that wearable electronics make their way into the thread of our garments. The applications as stated above are immense. From healthcare to military, there's a potential use of this tech in a variety of scenarios.
We would love to know your thoughts about embedding electronics in your clothes and other fabrics surrounding you. Share your opinions with us in comments below.
Source: <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_450654_en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Featured news - Graphene holds key to unlocking creation of wearable electronic devices - University of Exeter</a>
At the core of this technology is 'Graphene', the thinnest material known to man that can conduct electricity. The new research from Exeter University has come up with a new type of this material called 'monolayer graphene' that exhibits amazing mechanical, electrical and optical properties, making it a hotbed for devising transparent electrodes. Manufactured using the chemical vapor depostion (CVD) method, the monolayer graphene was transferred from copper foils to polypropylene fibre.
Speaking of fibre, even though we are all surrounded with it in various forms such as cushions, garments, car accessories, curtains and what not, embedding electronics in it is a big challenge because the researchers want to make them conductive to electricity while keeping the lightweightedness and comfort of the cloth intact.
The Exeter based team's new technique makes it possible to coat fibre with graphene so that wearable electronics make their way into the thread of our garments. The applications as stated above are immense. From healthcare to military, there's a potential use of this tech in a variety of scenarios.
We would love to know your thoughts about embedding electronics in your clothes and other fabrics surrounding you. Share your opinions with us in comments below.
Source: <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_450654_en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Featured news - Graphene holds key to unlocking creation of wearable electronic devices - University of Exeter</a>
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