Smart fabrics, also known as electronic textiles or smart clothing, are fabrics that have digital components like sensors, actuators and processors embedded in them. They are able to sense external conditions and respond accordingly. Smart fabrics have been in development since the 1990s and use materials like conductive threads, fibers and fabrics. They contain sensors to detect information and actuators to trigger responses. Processors then analyze the sensor data and control the actuators. Common applications of smart fabrics include uses in healthcare for monitoring health metrics, in military and safety gear for functions like GPS tracking, and in the fashion industry for customizable fabrics.

1. Nihal.M.Bhovare
TE CSE
Guided By Mrs. Shital Jadhav
Smart Fabrics

2. INTRODUCTION
 Smart fabrics also known as smart garments, electronic textiles, smart clothing, are smart textiles that
enable digital components such as a battery and a light (including small computers), and electronics to be
embedded in them.
 Smart fabrics are able to sense and respond to external conditions in a predetermined way.
 Textile products which can act in a different manner than an average fabric and are mostly able to perform
a special function certainly count as smart textiles.
 Smart textiles are fabrics that have been developed with new technologies that provide added value to the
wearer.

3. HISTORY
 The basic materials needed to construct e-textiles, conductive threads and fabrics have been around for over 1000
years.
 In the mid 1990s a team of MIT researchers led by Steve Mann, Thad Starner, and Sandy Pentland began to
develop what they termed wearable computers.
 In 1985, inventor Harry Wainwright created the first fully animated sweatshirt.
 in 1995, Wainwright went on to invent the first machine enabling fiber optics to be machined into fabrics
 The CEO of Exmovere at the time in 2005 using GSR sensors in a watch connected via Bluetooth to the
embedded machine washable display in a denim jacket
 Wainwright was commissioned to speak at the Textile and Colorists Conference in Melbourne, Australia on June 5,
2012 where he was requested to demonstrate his fabric creations that change color using any smart phone,
indicate callers on mobile phones without a digital display, and contain Wi-Fi security features that protect purses
and personal items from theft.

4. What it is made of
 Sensors
 Actuators
 Processors
 Material

5. Sensors
 A sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical
environment.
 The specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture, pressure, or any one of a
great number of other environmental phenomena.
 Sensor is part of a bigger system which provides input to a main control system (like a
Processor or a Microcontroller).
 Examples : Temperature Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer, IR Sensor
(Infrared), Pressure Sensor, Light Sensor, Ultrasonic Sensor, Color Sensor, blood
pressure measuring sensor, pulse rate measuring sensor.

6. Actuators
 Its function is to respond on the data which was sensed by the sensors and
coordinate to obtain appropriate output.
 Actuators in embedded systems get the control signal from a microcontroller
programmed by software.
 Examples of actuators include: Electric motors Solenoids Hard drive stepper motors
Comb drives

7. Processor
 A machine that processes something.
 A processor is an integrated electronic circuit that performs the calculations that run a computer.
 A processor performs arithmetical, logical, input/output (I/O) and other basic instructions that are passed
from an operating system (OS).

8. Material Used
 The materials which are used to manufacture products of wearable smart textile can
interact, communicate and sense.
 Some of them are
Metal fibers Conductive Inks Optical fibers Chromic materials
Quantum tunneling
composites
Inherently conductive
polymers
Organic
semiconductors
Shape memory
materials

9. Why Smart Fabrics
If we are suffering from any medical problem, we are having a good time, or do we need
to relax?
o So Smart Fabrics is the best Solution, There is a consumer demand for it, Textiles will warn you about
body situation.
o Your T-shirt can already contain a heart rate sensor. There could be advantages to using garments
rather than attaching gadgets, as some of the sensors need to be placed in exact positions on the
body.
o We need investment in wearable technology, and smart textiles, as they will have relevance for us all
in the coming years,” says “Alison Welsh, head of department at the Manchester Fashion
Institute at Manchester Metropolitan University.”

10. Classification
 First generation Passive Smart Textiles
 Second generation Active Smart Textiles
 Third generation Ultra Smart Textiles

11. Classification
 First generation Passive Smart Textiles
 Second generation Active Smart Textiles
 Third generation Ultra Smart Textiles
First generation. Passive smart textiles
They are able to perceive the data about the conditions of the environment. Such type of
textile contains only sensors.
Examples : UV protective clothing, plasma treated clothing, fabric with optical sensors,
etc.

12. Classification
 First generation Passive Smart Textiles
 Second generation Active Smart Textiles
 Third generation Ultra Smart Textiles
Second generation. Active smart textiles
Comprise both sensors and actuators. Active smart fabrics can memorize shape, keep
the chameleon effect, regulate temperature, resist water, absorb vapors, heat fabric of
the suit and store it. It’s literally “smart” fabrics.

13. Classification
 First generation Passive Smart Textiles
 Second generation Active Smart Textiles
 Third generation Ultra Smart Textiles
Third generation. Ultra Smart Textiles
This generation of textiles is much more advanced. They can not only sense disparate
data types but also make forecasts and fit external conditions without preliminary tuning.
Such kind of textiles works like the brain due to a built-in microcomputer.
Examples : Spacesuits, I-wear, sport jackets, musical jackets, wearable computers and
so on.

14. Applications of Smart Fabrics
Military and defence
Automatic muscle compression
Wind resistance Releasing heat
Sports athletes and fitness
Moisturizers
Tracking movements
Healthcare
Early warning signs of disease via
consistent biometric screening,
analysis and alerts.
Transportation
Utilize smart fabrics on bus and
train seats to monitor usage data
and wear-and-tear.
Car seats to monitor driver
attention, health
Safety
GPS tracking technology directly
embedded into clothing
Personnel handling high-value or
hazardous materials
Fashion
Ability to change colors and
appearance

20. Thank You