Smart Textiles Engineering

The Nano-Bio research group at Atlantic Technological University overcomes long-standing challenges associated with high-temperature processing and weak interfacial bonding between polymers and fabrics, unlocking new possibilities for next-generation wearable energy harvesting systems. The team’s breakthrough centres on the fabrication of textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs), capable of converting mechanical motion into usable electrical energy. Using a low-cost fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technique, the researchers successfully deposited polypropylene (PP)—a triboactive thermoplastic—onto conductive, flexible fabrics. The result is a mechanically robust, finely patterned surface that enables strong dielectric-fabric adhesion and exceptional triboelectric performance. The research is led by Dr Aswathy Babu and a multidisciplinary team of researchers of the Nano-Bio research group at Atlantic Technological University. The work was carried out in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, PEM Technology Gateway Centre, ATU, and I-Form Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing at the University College Dublin. This research is part of a €1.5 million collaborative project funded by Research Ireland (formerly SFI) and the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The consortium is led by Prof Daniel Mulvihill of the University of Glasgow and includes researchers from ATU, Tyndall National Institute and Heriot-Watt University, UK. The project’s overarching goal is to harness human motion as a renewable energy source using triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology—an eco-friendly and sustainable energy harvesting approach. The resulting T-TENGs are not only highly efficient but also flexible, durable, washable, and scalable—key attributes for real-world deployment. Demonstrating their practical applicability, the team successfully integrated these energy harvesters into an IoT-enabled adaptive touch sensing system, pointing to immediate potential in domains such as smart wearables, real-time health monitoring, soft robotics, and environmental sensing. This work was recently published in the journal Nano Energy (Volume 142, September 2025, 111218).

TEXTILE INNOVATIONS 2025 – (FIBRE TO FINISHING) In 2025, textile innovation is driven by material science, AI-enabled manufacturing, process efficiency, and sustainability compliance, delivering quantifiable improvements in quality, productivity, functionality, and circularity across the entire value chain. FIBRE Innovation focuses on sustainable raw materials and performance enhancement. Regenerative & organic cotton improves fibre maturity and strength through soil-health-based agronomy. Bio-based fibres (hemp, banana, pineapple) use enzymatic retting to preserve cellulose integrity while reducing chemical load. Chemically recycled polyester restores polymer chain length to virgin-equivalent levels. Graphene-infused fibres enhance tensile strength and electrical conductivity via nano-reinforcement. SPINNING Spinning has become digitally controlled and precision-driven. AI systems adjust draft, twist, and spindle speed in real time to reduce CV% and end breaks. Compact and vortex spinning minimize fibre protrusion, significantly lowering hairiness and pilling. Functional yarns integrate antimicrobial ions and phase-change materials. WEAVING Weaving advances through smart machinery and fabric engineering. IoT-enabled looms use vibration and tension analytics for predictive maintenance. 3D woven structures distribute loads across multiple axes, improving impact resistance. Optimized air-jet looms reduce energy consumption using CFD-based airflow control. KNITTING Knitting innovation emphasizes digitalization, zero-waste, and smart textiles. 3D whole-garment knitting produces seamless garments directly from digital designs. Seamless knitting improves comfort by reducing stress points. Conductive yarns and sensors enable smart knitted textiles for biometric monitoring. FABRIC DEVELOPMENT Fabric engineering delivers multi-functional and recyclable fabrics. Phase-change materials regulate temperature via latent heat absorption and release. Nano-based UV protection achieves UPF 50+. Mono-material fabric design simplifies recycling and supports circularity. PROCESSING (PRETREATMENT & DYEING) Processing innovation targets water, chemical, and energy reduction. Enzymatic bio-processing replaces harsh chemicals while preserving fibre strength. Low liquor ratio dyeing improves mass transfer efficiency. AI-based shade control applies color science models to reduce re-dyeing. PRINTING Printing shifts to digital, on-demand production. Digital inkjet printing precisely deposits micro-droplets, drastically reducing water use. Bio-based pigment inks maintain wash fastness. AI-assisted design automation accelerates sampling and trend response. FINISHING Finishing innovation is driven by advanced surface chemistry. Antimicrobial finishes achieve >99% bacterial reduction. PFAS-free water repellents replace fluorocarbons. Plasma and ozone treatments modify surface energy without fibre damage. Microencapsulation enables controlled release of functional agents.

A team of Chinese scientists from Zhejiang University, led by Guangming Tao and Yaoguang Ma, has developed an innovative fabric called metafabric that cools itself in sunlight without using any electricity. This breakthrough textile is made from polylactic acid fibers coated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles, allowing it to reflect over 92% of sunlight-including ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light-while also emitting heat through mid-infrared radiation. The result is a fabric that stays significantly cooler than traditional materials like cotton, by 5 to 10°C when worn, and even up to 30°C when used to cover objects like cars. Tested under real-world conditions, metafabric proved lightweight, breathable, durable, and scalable for mass production. This passive cooling technology holds great promise for use in clothing, outdoor gear, and building materials, especially in hot climates where reducing dependence on air conditioning could also help cut energy use and carbon emissions. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, confirming the scientific credibility of the work.

Wear it then it’s gone… 92 million tons of textile waste a year. Now add disposable wearables. Most of them won’t decompose before the next ice age. Global waste tells the same story. Over 2 billion tonnes of solid waste are generated each year, and that figure is expected to nearly double by 2050. A team at Seoul National University made a fiber that conducts like a wire, moves like thread, survives the wash, then breaks down in soil. The trick was tungsten particles for conductivity, wrapped in a biodegradable plastic jacket. No toxic leftovers. No scavenger hunt for recycling bins. They used it to make a full smart sleeve with EMG sensors, temperature monitoring, and wireless charging. After use, the whole thing started breaking down in soil. This isn’t just eco-marketing. The fiber handles 5,000 bends, 20 laundry cycles, and 10 meters in continuous production. That’s real-world resilience, not lab-bench novelty. The team now wants to add memory and logic. Build devices that serve their time, then quietly leave. Biodegradable electronics won’t fix overconsumption. But they make it harder to ignore the trash trail we leave behind. Would love to hear where disappearing electronics could actually make a difference Daily #electronics insights from Asia—follow me, Keesjan, and never miss a post by ringing my 🔔 #technology #innovation

MOFs in smart textiles 👕🧪 From passive fabric to active protection: Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are opening a new chapter in smart #textiles and #wearables. Instead of just coating fabrics with simple finishes, researchers now grow MOFs directly on cotton, polyester or technical fibers, creating MOF@textile composites that can: - Sense toxic gases and VOCs in real time (colorimetric or resistive response). - Filter and detoxify chemical threats. - Provide added functions such as UV protection, antibacterial effects or even fragrance #encapsulation. A few striking examples: - Cotton fabrics coated with Zr‑based MOFs can catalytically destroy nerve-agent simulants, outperforming traditional activated carbon materials while remaining flexible and washable. - Conductive MOF-coated textiles act as e-textiles, combining gas #filtration with real-time sensing of hazardous species in air or even in contact with water. - New scalable growth methods (e.g. #diazonium grafting on cotton) have produced washable MOF-textiles that pair #UV resistance, #antibacterial behavior, #fragrance storage and wastewater purification in a single material. Why does this matter? Because the “fabric” in uniforms, #masks, sportswear or hospital gowns can become a multifunctional platform: #sensor, #filter and detoxification layer at the same time, without sacrificing comfort or breathability. We are still early in the scale-up journey, but the message is clear: in the next generation of PPE and performance apparel, the most advanced part might not be the electronics you see – but the MOFs you don’t. What application would you push first: #defense PPE, industrial safety, #healthcare textiles, or consumer #sportswear? 👇 #MOFs #SmartTextiles #Wearables #AdvancedMaterials #PPE #MaterialsScience #Innovation Calistair. Science for healthy air www.calistair.com

What if AI could predict fabric colors before they even dry? A new study led by Warren Jasper, professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, shows how machine learning models can accurately predict the final color of dyed fabrics, even while they’re still wet. The challenge, Jasper explains, is that fabrics are dyed when wet, but color accuracy is only validated after drying. That means if something goes wrong, it’s often discovered too late, after hundreds of meters of fabric have already been processed. To solve this gap, the research tested five machine learning models, including a neural network specifically trained to map the nonlinear relationship between wet and dry color states. Using 763 textile samples, the models analyzed the chromatic differences between wet and dry fabrics. The result? The neural network achieved near-perfect accuracy, with an error margin of just 0.01 and an average deviation of 0.7 on the CIEDE2000 color scale, far below the industry’s threshold of 0.8 for visible differences. Other models showed higher errors, ranging from 1.1 to 1.6. This means AI can now predict the final color before the fabric dries, allowing manufacturers to correct issues early, save resources, reduce waste, and promote more sustainable dyeing practices. As Jasper highlights, the textile industry has been slow to adopt AI, but the benefits are becoming undeniable. With over 60% of fabrics dyed through continuous processes, AI could soon become a key tool for improving precision, efficiency, and environmental performance. The right color, on the first try, now has a new ally: artificial intelligence. I help fashion brands and manufacturers implement smarter, more sustainable production strategies, combining innovation, quality, and reliability. 📩 DM me if you want to explore how technology and trusted European factories can elevate your brand’s manufacturing process.

Georgia Tech researchers are pioneering advancements in wearable technology, tracing the evolution from the groundbreaking "Smart Shirt" in the early 2000s to today's smart textiles that integrate electronics for seamless human-machine interaction. Published January 22, 2026, the piece spotlights work by Georgia Tech engineers, including Professor Sundaresan Jayaraman from the School of Materials Science and Engineering (co-creator of the Smart Shirt) and colleague Sungmee Park. The "Smart Shirt," developed in response to a DARPA call for soldier protection innovations, functions as a "wearable motherboard" by weaving fabric threads as data buses to connect sensors unobtrusively. It collects biometric data like vital signs, detects injuries (e.g., via fiber optics for gunshot wounds), and enables rapid battlefield triage without bulky hardware—designed for comfortable wear under gear and mass production on looms. The article positions this early innovation as foundational to modern wearables that sense, respond, and even heal, foreshadowing broader applications in health monitoring and beyond. “What we have is all these nice data buses that are the fabric threads. And we can connect any kind of sensors to them. We were able to route information in a fabric for the first time, just like a typical computer motherboard. That’s why we called it the ‘wearable motherboard.’” — Sundaresan Jayaraman, Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Tech This research underscores the transformative value of digital health and wearables by enabling unobtrusive, continuous biometric monitoring that improves healthcare delivery—particularly in high-stakes scenarios like emergency triage—while paving the way for everyday applications in chronic disease management, preventive care, and enhanced quality of life. By seamlessly blending textiles with electronics, it demonstrates how digital tools can make health data collection intuitive, accessible, and life-saving, reducing barriers to real-time insights and supporting proactive, personalized wellness. ——————————————————————————— If you're passionate about digital health, AI, wearables, genomics, and metabolic health, let's stay informed together: you can follow me for updates and join my communities: ➡️ Digital Health (116,000+ members, established 2009) https://lnkd.in/guPW2r-E  ➡️ Metabolic Health (growing rapidly, established 2025) https://lnkd.in/gR9Qu6ez You can also search for the groups by name on LinkedIn or find them linked in my profile. Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/g-4DSSpE #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #WearableTech #Wearables #AI #SmartTextiles Note: Portions of this post were drafted with the assistance of an AI writing tool and revised by the author for accuracy, clarity, and professional judgment.

German researchers have created a groundbreaking smart textile that feels like ordinary clothing but transforms instantly when hit with sudden force. The fabric’s molecules shift from fluid-like flexibility to rigid armor, offering protection that was once only possible with heavy Kevlar vests. Tests show it can withstand impacts at high speeds while remaining light and breathable in daily use. This innovation isn’t just for soldiers or law enforcement — it could protect athletes from severe injuries, workers on construction sites, and even passengers in cars. By integrating nanotechnology into wearable fabrics, scientists are blurring the line between clothing and armor, paving the way for a future where safety is built directly into everyday fashion. #SmartFabric #BulletproofTech #GermanEngineering #Nanotechnology #fblifestyle

Future knitwear should be more than just covering for the body — it should act as an intelligent medium that interacts with the environment in real time.   Recently, I’ve been seeing thermochromic yarns online, and they’ve truly impressed me. We used to think of clothing as static, but materials with temperature-sensitive factors integrated into the fibers give fabrics a biological response to temperature changes: they contract and shift as soon as the temperature varies.   This dynamic response is not random; it relies on extremely strict control over yarn stability.   When functionality takes physical form, three-dimensional structures serve not only aesthetics but also increase heat-receptive surface area. When you move a heat gun over a sample and watch the fabric flow like water, its sensitivity and stability create a real technological barrier for knitwear.   What do you think the application potential of this fabric could be? Let’s discuss! #SmartKnitwear #ThermochromicYarn #IntelligentFabric #FutureFashion #TechTextiles #ResponsiveMaterial #KnitwearInnovation #SmartTextiles #TemperatureSensitive #AdvancedYarn #DynamicFabric #TechDrivenFashion