Three-dimensional weaving, knitting, or braiding tools may be used to create three-dimensional fabric (24) with internal pockets (56). The pockets (56) may be shaped to receive electrical components such as switch electrodes (46A, 46B) for a switch (18). The fabric (24) may have adjacent first and second layers that are interposed between the switch electrodes (46A, 46B). The switch electrodes (46A, 46B) may be biased apart using magnets (46A-1, 46B-1) or other biasing structure. In a region of the fabric (24) that overlaps the first and second switch electrodes (46A, 46B), the first and second layers of fabric may be disconnected from each other. This allows the first and second layers to pull away from each other so that the electrodes (46A, 46B) are separated by the biasing force from the biasing structure. The switch (18) can be closed by pressing the electrodes (46A, 46B) together.

A method of fabricating a composite material part includes placing a fiber texture in a mold including in its bottom portion a porous material part on which a first face of the texture rests, injecting a liquid under pressure into the fiber texture, the liquid containing a powder of refractory ceramic particles, and draining through the porous material part the liquid that has passed through the fiber texture, while retaining the powder of refractory ceramic particles inside said texture by the porous material part. A perforated rigid element is interposed between the bottom of the mold and the porous material part.

Systems and methods for interactive objects including conductive lines are provided. An interactive object may comprise a capacitive touch sensor comprising two or more non-crossing conductive lines that form at least a first conductive line pattern. The first conductive line pattern may comprise a first, second, and third sequence of the two or more non-crossing conductive lines relative to a respective first, second, and third input direction. The interactive object may be configured to detect touch input to the capacitive touch sensor based on a change in capacitance associated with the two or more non-crossing conductive lines, identify at least one of the first, second, or third line sequence based on the touch input to the capacitive touch sensor, and determine a respective gesture corresponding to the first, second, or third sequence of two or more non-crossing conductive lines.

A wearable, nanoconductor technology for smart electronic applications. A novel nano-scale geometry is achieved for nanoconductor circuits on the order of the size of a single thread or smaller, which are easily integrated with clothing and provide smart applications for wearable electronics. The nano-scale fibers provide improved material characteristics and the fixed geometry and orientation of the nanoconductor structures allow easier interface of nanoconductor electronics integrated with the clothing or with electronics external to the weave of the clothing. Novel electronic circuits based on the size and fixed geometries of the nanoconductor fibers which allow configurable functions that can be employed for different uses through logic circuit configuration or serial programming during wear are disclosed.

A method for operating a heat exchanger comprising a top side, a bottom side, and a thermoelectric device including thermoelectrically active elements which are electrically energizable for generating a heat flow between the top side and the bottom side, the method may comprise electrically energizing the thermoelectric device with an electric alternating current.

An item such as a fabric-based item may have a layer of fabric such as a layer of woven fabric. The fabric layer may include insulating warp and weft strands. Conductive strands may be woven into the fabric layer and may form electrodes for a touch sensor. Chemical etching or other processing techniques may be used to form an array of openings. In each opening, some or all of the insulating warp and weft strands may be removed so that each opening passes partly or fully through the fabric layer and locally thins the fabric layer. Keys may be formed from key members and switches. The key members may overlap respective locally thinned areas of the fabric layer formed from the openings. The conductive strands may extend across the openings and may be overlapped by the key members and switches.

A woven fabric including: a first region where a first fiber as an optical fiber is woven with a second fiber as a non-optical fiber; a second region adjacent to the first region, in which the first fiber is not woven; and a third region adjacent to the second region, in which the first fiber is connected to a light source.

An interactive cord system can include sensing circuitry coupled to a system ground and an interactive cord. The interactive cord can include a plurality of non-conductive lines a plurality of conductive sensing lines at least partially woven with one or more of the plurality of non-conductive lines to form at least one touch-sensitive area along the interactive cord and one or more conductive grounding lines electrically connected with the system ground and extending at least partially along an outer portion of the interactive cord.

A surface element with a first layer, which has a conductive loop embedded in an insulating material, and with a sensor layer forming a second layer that is in contact with the conductive loop. The sensor layer is designed for detecting at least one external input variable. Dependent upon this detection, a current flowing through the conductive loop is affected. The surface element can be operated in a reverse operation such that by feeding currents into the conductive loop, the one or each of multiple sensor layer(s) generates output variables.

Multi-functional electronic textiles employing nanocomposite pattern elements and related methods are provided. An exemplary method for producing a textile product with an integrated electrical device includes applying conductive nanowires to a substrate to form a conductive nanowire network on the substrate and applying a thermoplastic elastomer to the nanowire network to form a nanocomposite layer on top of the substrate. The method also includes cutting the nanocomposite layer into a desired pattern to form an electrical device and transferring the electrical device from the substrate onto a textile fabric.