Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The leap from a laboratory thread to a “smart garment” that talks to one’s phone involves some of the most clever engineering in the field. The researchers didn’t just build a computer; they built a wireless communication station inside the fabric.
To get data from a thread to your smartphone, the Fudan team uses three primary methods, depending on the application:
* Body-coupled communication: One of their most recent breakthroughs is using the human body itself as a conductive medium. The fiber sends a tiny, harmless electrical signal through your skin to a receiver (like a smartwatch or a patch), which then relays it to your phone via bluetooth.
* Woven antennas: By weaving specific conductive fibers into a specific pattern (like a coil), the fabric acts as a flexible antenna. This allows the “fiber computer” to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals — similar to how NFC or low-energy Bluetooth works — directly to your phone when it’s nearby.
* Visual-digital interaction: Some fibers are designed to emit light. These “display fibers” can pulse in patterns that a smartphone camera can “read” and decode, turning flashes of light into data.
The “all-in-one” fabric
The ultimate goal of Professor Peng’s team is a self-sufficient textile. Here is how a single “smart shirt” might be structured using this technology:
* Energy layer: Solar-harvesting fibers on the outer layer collect power.
* Storage layer: Fiber-shaped lithium-ion batteries woven into the seams store that power.
* Computing layer: The “Fudan threads” process data (like your heart rate or body temperature).
* Interface layer: Electroluminescent fibers on the sleeve act as a screen to show you notifications.
Because these fibers are made using a “rolling” technique similar to how industrial films are made, they can be mass-produced. The team has already demonstrated a way to manufacture these fibers by the kilometer.
The researchers are currently working on “Neural Fibers”— threads so thin and soft they can be injected into the bloodstream to reach the brain, where they could monitor activity without surgery.