5. E-textiles¶

Research¶

Introduction to E-Textiles E-textiles, or electronic textiles, are fabrics that incorporate electronics and digital components, enabling textiles to interact with the environment, communicate information, and even respond to user input. They represent a blend of traditional textile techniques with modern technology, offering possibilities for innovation in fashion, healthcare, sports, and beyond.

History The concept of e-textiles has roots in the late 20th century, when researchers began experimenting with integrating electronics into clothing and fabric. Early developments in the 1960s and 70s focused on incorporating conductive materials into textiles to make them capable of carrying electrical currents. However, it wasn’t until the 1990s, with advances in miniaturization of electronic components and the development of conductive fibers, that e-textiles started gaining traction in wearable technology and fashion.

With the explosion of wearable devices in the 2000s, interest in e-textiles surged, driven by their potential to make electronics more seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. Today, e-textiles are recognized as a key component in the evolution of wearable technology, merging digital interaction with fabric materials.

Applications Fashion and Wearable Technology: E-textiles allow designers to incorporate lights, sensors, and microcontrollers directly into garments. This capability has given rise to interactive clothing, which can change colors, display information, or even connect to smartphones. Designers and artists use e-textiles to create pieces that respond to movement, sound, or environmental factors, expanding the realm of expression in fashion.

Healthcare and Wellbeing: E-textiles have promising applications in medical monitoring. Smart fabrics can be used to track heart rate, body temperature, and even monitor muscle movement or stress levels. These textiles provide a comfortable and unobtrusive alternative to traditional medical monitoring devices, allowing patients to go about their daily activities while being continuously monitored.

Sports and Fitness: In the sports industry, e-textiles enable real-time performance monitoring. Wearable sensors embedded in fabric can track metrics like body temperature, hydration levels, and muscle activity, offering athletes valuable data to optimize their performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Military and Safety: E-textiles are also used in protective and military gear, where they can monitor soldiers' vital signs, detect environmental hazards, and communicate critical information. Smart uniforms and equipment can improve situational awareness and provide additional layers of safety.

Environmental Sensing and Industrial Use: E-textiles are increasingly found in environmental sensing, where they can be used to detect pollution levels, monitor structural integrity in construction materials, or even serve as flexible solar panels. In industrial settings, these fabrics can track temperature, vibrations, or exposure to chemicals.

Beyond: The Future of E-Textiles The future of e-textiles is expansive and filled with possibilities. As technology advances, we are seeing e-textiles become lighter, more flexible, and more durable. Research in materials science is leading to new conductive fibers and polymers that improve e-textiles’ comfort and washability. Innovations in energy harvesting and storage could enable self-powered fabrics that can charge from body heat, solar energy, or movement, making truly autonomous smart clothing possible.

Additionally, e-textiles have a strong potential to support sustainability in fashion and technology. With biodegradable materials and modular components, they can be designed for reuse and recycling, paving the way for a more sustainable and integrated relationship between humans and technology.

In essence, e-textiles are at the cutting edge of a future where our clothes and textiles are not only functional but interactive, intelligent, and adaptive to our needs and surroundings.

Inspiration¶

Texrileinside - Texrileinside

e-textile conference - e-textile conference

Fashionableawyers - Fashionableawyers

Apexmills - Apexmills

Results¶

I used a Seeedstudio nRP52840, it is a compact, powerful, and versatile development board based on the Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 SoC (System on Chip). It is designed for Bluetooth 5.0 and other wireless applications, supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, Thread, and 2.4 GHz proprietary protocols.

In order to start, the table must be registered: * Seeed Studio XIAO nRF52840 (Sense) - Seeed Studio XIAO nRF52840 (Sense)

dar de alta la tabla

In order to identify the change in movement, the library must be loaded: * Accelerometer&Gyroscope using LSM6DS3 - LSM6DS3

esquematico

Conslusion¶

E-textiles represent a groundbreaking intersection of technology, fashion, and functionality, transforming traditional fabrics into interactive, responsive materials with vast potential. Through the integration of conductive fibers, sensors, and microelectronics, e-textiles enable applications in health monitoring, sports performance tracking, safety, and beyond. They offer new opportunities for innovation in fields that require wearable, adaptable solutions. However, challenges remain, such as improving durability, washability, and energy efficiency. As materials science and electronics continue to advance, e-textiles are likely to become more accessible and practical, paving the way for smarter clothing, innovative wearable tech, and a more connected future.

Code move sensor¶

include "LSM6DS3.h" include "Wire.h"

// Crear una instancia de la clase LSM6DS3 LSM6DS3 myIMU(I2C_MODE, 0x6A); // Dirección I2C del dispositivo 0x6A

// Definir los pines de los LEDs integrados const int RED_LED = LED_BUILTIN; // LED rojo para el eje X const int BLUE_LED = LED_BLUE; // LED azul para el eje Y

// Definir los pines de los LEDs externos const int EXT_LED_X = D0; // LED externo para el eje X (conectado a D0) const int EXT_LED_Y = D1; // LED externo para el eje Y (conectado a D1)

// Umbral para detectar inclinación const float THRESHOLD = 0.5; // Ajusta este valor para determinar la sensibilidad

void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); while (!Serial); // Espera a que el puerto serie esté disponible

// Inicializa el IMU
if (myIMU.begin() != 0) {
    Serial.println("Error en el dispositivo");
} else {
    Serial.println("Acelerómetro OK!");
}

// Configurar los pines de los LEDs integrados como salidas
pinMode(RED_LED, OUTPUT);
pinMode(BLUE_LED, OUTPUT);

// Configurar los pines de los LEDs externos como salidas
pinMode(EXT_LED_X, OUTPUT);
pinMode(EXT_LED_Y, OUTPUT);

// Apagar todos los LEDs al inicio
digitalWrite(RED_LED, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_LED, HIGH);
digitalWrite(EXT_LED_X, LOW);  // Apagar LED externo X al inicio
digitalWrite(EXT_LED_Y, LOW);  // Apagar LED externo Y al inicio

} void loop() { // Lectura de los tres ejes del acelerómetro float accelX = myIMU.readFloatAccelX(); float accelY = myIMU.readFloatAccelY();

// Mostrar valores del acelerómetro (X e Y)
Serial.print("Acelerómetro X = ");
Serial.println(accelX, 4);
Serial.print("Acelerómetro Y = ");
Serial.println(accelY, 4);

// Control del LED rojo (X) y LED externo X
if (accelX > THRESHOLD) {
    // Inclinación hacia la derecha
    digitalWrite(RED_LED, LOW);  // Enciende el LED rojo integrado
    digitalWrite(EXT_LED_X, HIGH);  // Enciende el LED externo X
    Serial.println("Inclinación hacia la derecha - LED rojo encendido");
} else if (accelX < -THRESHOLD) {
    // Inclinación hacia la izquierda
    digitalWrite(RED_LED, LOW);  // Enciende el LED rojo integrado
    digitalWrite(EXT_LED_X, HIGH);  // Enciende el LED externo X
    Serial.println("Inclinación hacia la izquierda - LED rojo encendido");
} else {
    digitalWrite(RED_LED, HIGH);  // Apaga el LED rojo si está en posición neutral
    digitalWrite(EXT_LED_X, LOW);  // Apaga el LED externo X
}

// Control del LED azul (Y) y LED externo Y
if (accelY > THRESHOLD) {
    // Inclinación hacia adelante
    digitalWrite(BLUE_LED, LOW);  // Enciende el LED azul integrado
    digitalWrite(EXT_LED_Y, HIGH);  // Enciende el LED externo Y
    Serial.println("Inclinación hacia adelante - LED azul encendido");
} else if (accelY < -THRESHOLD) {
    // Inclinación hacia atrás
    digitalWrite(BLUE_LED, LOW);  // Enciende el LED azul integrado
    digitalWrite(EXT_LED_Y, HIGH);  // Enciende el LED externo Y
    Serial.println("Inclinación hacia atrás - LED azul encendido");
} else {
    digitalWrite(BLUE_LED, HIGH);  // Apaga el LED azul si está en posición neutral
    digitalWrite(EXT_LED_Y, LOW);  // Apaga el LED externo Y
}

delay(100);  // Pausa de 100 ms antes de la siguiente lectura

}

Results¶

Video¶

From Youtube¶

If the card detects movement to the right or left the LED lights up blue, if the movement detected is up or down the LED color is red

Tools¶

- [Arduino UNO](http://class.textile-academy.org)
- [Arduino IDE](http://class.textile-academy.org)

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