A machine knittable hybrid yarn is disclosed. The hybrid yarn includes one or more electrically non-conductive yarns and two or more electrically conductive wires wrapped around the electrically non-conductive yarns. The electrically conductive wires have an exterior layer of an insulated material. The electrically non-conductive yarns include a majority fraction of an overall cross-section of the hybrid yarn. The two or more electrically conductive wires are wrapped around the one or more electrically non-conductive yarns at between 1 and 15 twists per inch. The one or more electrically non-conductive yarns are 1500 denier or finer.

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.

Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for seamless and scalable piezoresistive matrix-based intelligent textile development using digital flat-bed and circular knitting machines. Disclosed embodiments allow for combining and customizing functional conductive and polyester and spandex yarns, thus allowing for designing the aesthetics and architecting and engineering both the electrical and mechanical properties of the pressure sensing textile. In addition, by incorporating a melting fiber, disclosed embodiments allow for shaping and personalizing a three-dimensional piezoresistive fabric structure that can conform to the human body through thermoforming principles.

A knitted or woven garment configured for sensing movement of an adjacent underlying body portion of a wearer of the garment via one or more sensors, the garment including a garment body including a plurality of fibres knitted together to form a layer of the garment, the garment layer for positioning adjacent to the underlying body portion when worn by the wearer; one or more electrical connectors attached to the garment body, the one or more electrical connectors for facilitating receipt and transmission of electrical signals between a controller and the one or more sensors when the controller is connected to the one or more electrical connectors; a conductive pathway consisting of one or more conductive fibres incorporated in the garment layer by knitting as part of the plurality of fibres, the conductive pathway electrically connected to the one or more electrical connectors and to the one or more sensors; each of the one or more sensors incorporated in the garment layer by knitting as part of the plurality of fibres, each of the one or more sensors knitted using a plurality of conductive fibres electrically connected to the one or more conductive fibres of the conductive pathway; wherein the controller is configured to measure changes in at least one of resistance or capacitance of the one or more sensors as representative of the movement of the underlying body portion when positioned adjacent to the one or more sensors.

It is disclosed a textile fabric comprising a first set of electrically conductive and externally isolated yarns (22) separated by isolating textile yarns (24); a second set of non-isolated conductive yarns (23); a plurality of textile yarns interlacing the first and the second set of yarns (22, 23), wherein part of the interlacing textile yarns are non-isolated conductive yarns (23) in order to form an electrical grounding grid with the non-isolated conductive yarns (23) of the second set of yarns and part of the interlacing textile yarns are isolating textile yarns (24).

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

The novel flexible electrodes disclosed herein utilize the low bending stiffness of electrospun nanofiber mats to achieve the material properties required for surgical implantation and sustained bidirectional communication with peripheral nerves without compromising electronic functionality. According to certain embodiments disclosed herein, implantable neural electrode probes are provided which comprise a polymeric substrate having proximal and distal ends, an electrode interface at the proximal end of the substrate; at least one neural contact at the distal end of the substrate; and electrically conductive traces formed on the fibrous substrate providing electrical communication between the at least one neural contact and the electrode interface, wherein the substrate comprises a nonwoven mass of polymeric nanofibers.

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.

The invention provides a knitted textile thermal sensor. The thermal sensor comprises: a first electrically conductive yarn comprised of a first electrically conductive material; a second electrically conductive yarn that is comprised of a second electrically conductive material different from the first electrically conductive material; and electrically conductive output yarns that are in electrical connection with the first and second electrically conductive yarns. The first and second electrically conductive yarns are comprised within or applied to a textile via a plurality of stitches that form a defined sensing stitch pattern. The sensing stitch pattern comprises at least one thermal sensing junction that provides an electrical connection between the first and second electrically conductive yarns, and at a location remote from the at least one thermal sensing junction, a reference junction. The output yarns facilitate electrical connection to the thermal sensor such that at least one voltage measurement can be made.

Braided composite yarns including one or more functional components such as conductors and one or more structural components such as para-aramid fibers, and methods of manufacture therefor. Bundles of at least one functional component and at least one structural component undergo simultaneous parallel winding under tension onto a single bobbin prior to braiding, thus reducing the mechanical loading forces on the functional components in the final yarn. The yarns can be engineered with application-specific electrical, electronic, electromagnetic, or physical properties that enable their use as electronic components or sensors, and attached to or incorporated into active textiles and composite substrates. The yarns can be directly soldered to without prior removal of insulation or other yarn components. Some yarns, such as those for use as inductors, can include a core with desired electrical properties.