Switzerland develops "smart clothing" that can be washed directly

Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich recently developed a new technology to make new breakthroughs in the research of "smart clothing". This technology allows the electronic components such as sensors and conductive fibers to be woven into common fabrics like fibers, so that the fabrics not only have the characteristics of electronic components, but also can be washed directly. In addition, since the core of its technology is to miniaturize and fibrillate electronic components, large-scale commercial production can be achieved without replacing existing textile equipment.

In the past, the most common solution for the development of electronic smart fabrics was to fix electronic components to fabrics using sewing methods, and the “electronic garments” produced by this method could not be washed. In addition, the manual production method makes its production cost high.

This new technology solves the difficulties of previous research and development. The researchers attached plastic fibers to miniaturized electronic components and connected a large number of miniature integrated circuits through a special material and structure.

Although textile materials contain a large number of electronic components, the smart fabric does not differ from the ordinary fabric in terms of appearance, and the manufactured clothes can be easily folded. In addition, because the electronic components in the fabric are all encapsulated in plastic, it can be easily washed.