An item may include fabric or other materials formed from intertwined strands of material. The strands of material may include non-conductive strands and conductive strands. The strands may be intertwined by a warp knitting machine to produce a warp knit fabric. The warp knit fabric may include intertwined warp strands and weft insertion strands that are inserted amongst the warp strands. The weft insertion strands may extend across less than all of the warp strands. The weft insertion strands may include parallel segments that each extend across a different portion of the warp strands. The segments of weft insertion strands may have different widths relative to one another and relative to the width of the fabric. The weft insertion strands may be inserted into the warp knitting machine across the warp strands using a weft insertion device that is positioned by a computer-controlled positioner.

A textile-based electrode system includes a first fabric layer having an inner and an outer surface. The inner surface includes a knitted electrode configured to be placed in contact with the skin of a user. A second fabric layer is disposed and configured to contact the outer surface of the first fabric layer. The second fabric layer includes a knitted conductive pathway configured to be electrically coupled to the knitted electrode. Furthermore, a third fabric layer is configured and disposed to contact the second fabric layer. A connector is disposed on the third fabric layer and is configured to be electrically coupled to the knitted conductive pathway. The second fabric layer can be folded about a first fold axis and the third fabric layer can be folded about a second fold axis to place the second fabric layer in contact with the first fabric layer and the third fabric layer.

An example softgood includes a fabric constructed using a knit pattern, and the fabric being configured to elongate along an axis. The fabric is configured to give up its mechanical slack that exists as a result of the knit pattern, whereby giving up the mechanical slack causes the fabric to be extended up to a length along the axis. The fabric is also configured to resist stretching to a longer length after the fabric has been extended up to the length along the first axis. The resistance to stretching is provided by fibers of the fabric, and a tension force required to overcome the resistance to stretching the fabric is greater than a force required to cause the fabric to give up its mechanical slack. The example softgood also includes an embedded conductive trace configured to have a maximum operating length that is at least equal to the length.

Illuminated inner trim for vehicles comprising a substrate, a decorative lining, and integrated between these a set of LEDs that can provide a decorative illumination such that when on they are visible through the decorative lining as well-defined points of light, while when off they are unseen. Specifically, when said LEDs are on and the vehicle occupants change their angle of vision with respect to the LEDs, a set of points of light will be seen with variable intensity due to the contrast between areas of direct light and areas of shade, causing a sparkling effect.

A fiber computer has a fiber body including electrically insulating fiber body material along the length of the fiber body. Electrical conductors are disposed within the fiber body and are operative to transmit electrical power, electrical ground, clock signals, and data signals through the fiber body. Input units disposed within the fiber body accept external stimuli. Microcontroller microchips disposed within the fiber body process stimuli accepted by an input unit. Memory module microchips within the fiber body store data and communicate with microcontroller microchips. Output units produce an output directed out of the fiber body. A clock signal generator within the fiber body synchronizes operation of input units, microcontroller microchips, memory module microchips, and output units. Each of the computer input units, microcontroller microchips, memory module microchips, and computer output units are disposed in electrical connection with the plurality of electrical conductors for fiber computer operation within the fiber body.

One variation of a method for producing a smart yarn includes: aligning a set of sensing elements offset along a lateral axis in a magazine, wherein each sensing element in the set of sensing elements includes a sensor, a first conductive lead extending from a first side of the sensor along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the lateral axis, and a second conductive lead extending from a second side of the sensor opposite the first side and along the longitudinal axis; wrapping a set of fibers into a yarn within a wrapping field; feeding a leading end of a first sensing element, in the set of sensing elements, from the magazine into the wrapping field; releasing the first sensing element from the magazine into the wrapping field; encasing the first sensing element between the set of fibers within the yarn; and repeating this process for the set of sensing elements.

Once variation of a method for producing a smart yarn includes: advancing a set of wires into an assembly field; at each sensor site in a series of sensor sites along the set of wires, depositing solder paste onto the set of wires at the sensor site, placing a sensor into the solder paste on the set of wires at the sensor site, and heating the set of wires within the assembly field to reflow the solder paste; wrapping fibers around the set of wires and sensors arranged along the set of wires to form a continuous length of the smart yarn; separating a first segment of the smart yarn from the continuous length of the smart yarn; and weaving the first segment of the smart yarn into a garment.

The invention relates to a device for monitoring the breathing of a user comprising: a textile support comprising a tubular portion formed by knitting an electrically insulating majority ground yarn, the tubular portion being able to cover the chest of the user, at least one breathing sensor formed by knitting a detection yarn, the detection yarn comprising an internal core made of an electrically insulating material and an external sheath surrounding the internal core, the external sheath being formed made of an electrically conductive material, wherein the breathing sensor forms a conductive band having a first end and a second end positioned at a distance from each other, the ends being able to be connected to an apparatus for measuring the electric resistance of the conductive band.

Provided are sensors comprising one or both of MXene-coated fibers and MXene-coated yarns.

Electronic-ink-based colorful patterned color-changing fabrics and preparation methods thereof are provided. The fabric includes a conductive fabric microstrip formed by weaving using conductive yarn and insulating yarn. The conductive yarn forms a conductive region, and the insulating yarn form an insulating region. An electronic ink microencapsule layer is arranged on the conductive region. A flexible transparent conductive layer is arranged on the electronic ink microencapsule layer. A transparent polymer layer is arranged on the flexible transparent conductive layer. A surface layer of the microstrip is a conductive layer, and a bottom layer of the microstrip is an insulating layer. An electrophoretic color-changing microencapsule, a conductive one-dimensional nanomaterial, and a transparent polymer are uniformly coated on a surface of the microstrip, and a voltage output by a drive circuit is respectively applied to the conductive microstrip and the transparent conductive layer to achieve selective flip and color rendering of centimeter-scale micro-region on the surface of the microstrip. Upper and lower electrodes are connected with a control circuit to achieve centimeter-scale pixel control and large-size graphic display and make a conductive-fabric-substrate-based foldable, high-environmental tolerant low-cost large-area color display and adaptive visible light camouflage fabric.