Scientists have engineered innovative smart fabrics leveraging acoustic waves, rather than traditional electronics, too achieve precise measurements of touch, pressure, and motion.

Envision wearing a shirt capable of monitoring your respiration or gloves that convert hand gestures into commands for your computer.

Researchers at ETH Zurich, under the guidance of Daniel Ahmed, a professor specializing in acoustic robotics for life sciences and healthcare, have established the groundwork for such intelligent textiles.

In contrast to numerous prior advancements in this domain, which typically incorporate electronics, the scientists are utilizing acoustic waves transmitted through glass fibers. This approach enhances measurement accuracy while rendering the textiles lighter,more breathable,and easier to clean.

Ahmed noted the cost-effectiveness and minimal power consumption due to the use of readily available materials.

The team has named their creation SonoTextiles.

Yingqiang wang, the studyS lead author, stated that while acoustic-based smart textiles have been explored, their team is the first to investigate the use of glass fiber combined with signals of varying frequencies.

The team integrated glass fibers into the fabric at consistent intervals. A small transmitter at one end of each fiber emits sound waves, while a receiver at the opposite end detects any alterations in the waves.

Each transmitter functions at a unique frequency, reducing the computational demands for identifying the fiber on which sound waves have changed. Earlier smart textiles often faced challenges with data overload and signal processing because each sensor location required individual assessment.

Ahmed envisions real-time data transmission to computers or smartphones in the future.

Movement of a glass fiber alters the length and energy of the acoustic waves passing through it. In a shirt, this coudl be triggered by body movement or breathing.

Wang specified the use of ultrasonic frequencies around 100 kilohertz, far beyond human hearing range.

The team has successfully demonstrated the concept in the laboratory. SonoTextiles could perhaps be used to monitor the breathing of asthma patients and trigger alerts in emergencies.

Athletes could use it for real-time movement analysis to optimize performance and prevent injuries. The technology also holds promise for sign language translation and use in virtual or augmented reality.

chaochao Sun, co-first author of the study, suggests SonoTextiles could also measure posture and enhance quality of life as an assistive technology, providing feedback to correct poor posture or indicating when wheelchair users need to shift position to prevent pressure ulcers.

While acknowledging the high potential usability of SonoTextiles, Ahmed recognizes the need for practical improvements. Glass microfibers performed well in the lab but could be fragile in everyday use.

ahmed suggests replacing glass fibers with metal, which also effectively conducts sound, to enhance robustness and explore other applications.

The researchers aim to enhance the system’s durability and improve the integration of electronics into the textiles.

The research is published in Nature Electronics.

“They are also inexpensive because we use readily available materials, and the power consumption is very low,” says Ahmed.

Understanding SonoTextiles