CSE - Multi-Functional Yarns for Intelligent Textiles/wearables

Smart textiles are advanced fabrics and garments that integrate capabilities such as sensing, data storage, processing, and communication in a seamless and unobtrusive manner. These innovative materials offer exciting opportunities, from tracking physiological signals and recording everyday physical activities to powering connected smart-home devices. However, a significant hurdle lies in combining flexibility, softness, and breathability with high functionality. Existing wireless modules, microprocessors, and analog-to-digital converters depend on rigid integrated circuit chips, which consume substantial power and are challenging to incorporate into soft, pliable textiles. In this project, we will integrate highly dense functionalities directly into each fiber to enrich the functionality. Designed to detect interactions with the human body, these fibers can be woven into wearable fabrics, paving the way for transformative applications in human-environment and human-human interaction.