Journal
MATERIALS TODAY
Volume 59, Issue -, Pages 56-67Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.mattod.2022.07.015
Keywords
Industry 4.0; Conductive cotton thread; Computerized embroidery; Wearable sensors; Electrocardiography; Respiration Monitoring; Gas Sensing
Categories
Funding
- EPSRC [EP/G037515/1, EP/L016702/1]
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Grand Challenges Explorations scheme) [OPP1212574]
- US Army (U.S. Army Foreign Technology (and Science) Assessment Support program) [W911QY-20-R-0022]
- Wellcome Trust [207687/Z/17/Z]
- Innovate UK [10004425]
- ESRC LISS DTP [2453729]
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [OPP1212574] Funding Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Wellcome Trust [207687/Z/17/Z] Funding Source: Wellcome Trust
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The textile industry has advanced processes for manufacturing garments with precise visual patterns. However, it lacks the capability to fabricate clothes with seamlessly integrated wearable sensors due to the lack of conductive threads compatible with standard manufacturing methods. In this study, we developed a low-cost conductive thread that is compatible with computerized embroidery. We successfully produced wearable electrical sensors, including a facemask for monitoring breathing and a t-shirt for monitoring heart activity, using this conductive thread. This development has the potential to enable mass manufacturing of low-cost wearable sensors integrated into everyday clothes.
The textile industry has advanced processes that allow computerized manufacturing of garments at large volumes with precise visual patterns. The industry, however, is not able to mass fabricate clothes with seamlessly integrated wearable sensors, using its precise methods of fabrication (such as computerized embroidery). This is due to the lack of conductive threads compatible with standard manufacturing methods used in industry. In this work, we report a low-cost poly(3,4-ethylenediox ythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)-modified cotton conductive thread (PECOTEX) that is compatible with computerized embroidery. The PECOTEX was produced using a crosslinking reaction between PEDOT:PSS and cotton thread using divinyl sulfone as the crosslinker. We extensively characterized and optimized our formulations to create a mechanically robust conductive thread that can be produced in large quantities in a roll-to-roll fashion. Using PECOTEX and a domestic computerized embroidery machine, we produced a series of wearable electrical sensors including a facemask for monitoring breathing, a t-shirt for monitoring heart activity and textile-based gas sensors for monitoring ammonia as technology demonstrators. PECOTEX has the potential to enable mass manufacturing of new classes of low-cost wearable sensors integrated into everyday clothes.
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