Smart textiles have been around for a long time. Wearing clothes that have electronic components has been a dream that stretches back to the 1980s. With decades of technological advancements, it is currently possible to implement batteries and small devices into fabric.
However, having batteries on clothes is not really a long-term solution for the smart clothing industry. The capacity of the batteries was small, the performances were limited, and the energy storage devices used toxic electrolytes. But the development of science in the last decade allowed new ways to generate energy from textiles with sweat.
Powering smart textiles with sweat
Sweat is a good indicator of your health. It turns out it is also non-toxic and “a reliable electrolyte for wearable energy storage devices“, according to the findings of Libu Manjakkal and his team. In addition, people naturally generate sweat with just a little movement or with some moderate exercise. As such, it makes a very interesting source of energy for smart textiles. It can also be very easily extracted and converted with the help of a textile-based supercapacitor. With the help of advancements in science, this makes this a quite effective power source.
Now, there is no point in having smart clothes. However, scientists and brands already have developed a few types of smart clothes with certain functionalities. There is, of course, the fashion side of smart clothes that allows for things such as LED lights integrated into the clothing. But the most exciting use for smart clothes may well be in the medical field. Thanks to that technology, your clothes can, one day, monitor your health. This would be a game changer for people who need constant monitoring.
Photo credits: The feature image has been taken by Eduard Bonnin from Depositphotos. The images within the body of the article are made available by Wiley Online Library for press usage.
Sources: Wiley Online Library
