Fibres—threads of intelligence—enable a new generation of wearable systems

Tools

Dang, C., Wang, Z., Hughes-Riley, T. ORCID: 0000-0001-8020-430X, Dias, T., Qian, S., Wang, Z., Wang, X., Liu, M., Yu, S., Liu, R., Xu, D., Wei, L., Yan, W. and Zhu, M., 2024. Fibres—threads of intelligence—enable a new generation of wearable systems. Chemical Society Reviews, 53 (17), pp. 8790-8846. ISSN 0306-0012

Text
2205359_Hughes-Riley.pdf - Post-print
Full-text access embargoed until 1 August 2025.
Download (5MB)

Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1039/d4cs00286e

Abstract

Fabrics represent a unique platform for seamlessly integrating electronics into everyday experiences. The advancements in functionalizing fabrics at both the single fibre level and within constructed fabrics have fundamentally altered their utility. The revolution in materials, structures, and functionality at the fibre level enables intimate and imperceptible integration, rapidly transforming fibres and fabrics into next-generation wearable devices and systems. In this review, we explore recent scientific and technological breakthroughs in smart fibre-enabled fabrics. We examine common challenges and bottlenecks in fibre materials, physics, chemistry, fabrication strategies, and applications that shape the future of wearable electronics. We propose a closed-loop smart fibre-enabled fabric ecosystem encompassing proactive sensing, interactive communication, data storage and processing, real-time feedback, and energy storage and harvesting, intended to tackle significant challenges in wearable technology. Finally, we envision computing fabrics as sophisticated wearable platforms with system-level attributes for data management, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and closed-loop intelligent networks.

Item Type:

Journal article

Publication Title:

Chemical Society Reviews

Creators: