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Integration of optoelectronics into fibres enhances textiles

An approach has been developed for incorporating optoelectronic devices into polymer fibres, which can be woven into fabrics. Such materials could have applications in both telecommunication and health monitoring.
  1. Walter Margulis

    1. Walter Margulis is in the Department of Fiber Optics, RISE Acreo, 164 40 Kista, Sweden, and in the Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm.

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From time immemorial, textiles have covered our skin and protected it from rain, cold weather and sunlight. The introduction of novel materials and automation techniques widened the use of textiles to carpets, backpacks and car seats. In a paper in Nature, Rein et al.1 breathe new life into textiles. The authors present an approach for integrating optoelectronic devices — such as light-emitting diodes — that are commonly used in consumer electronics into fabrics. They demonstrate an optical communication link between two pieces of fabric, and show that their technology can be used to monitor a person’s heart rate.

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Nature 560, 170-171 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05873-9

References

  1. Rein, M. et al. Nature 560, 214–218 (2018).

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  2. Méndez, A. & Morse, T. F. (eds) Specialty Optical Fibers Handbook 88 (Academic, 2006).

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  3. Lee, K., Henry, P., Fleming, S. & Blows, J. L. IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18, 914–916 (2006).

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