A fabric cover may be configured to mechanically couple to and cover part of a frame and the fabric cover may have a plurality of layers including a first non-conductive fabric layer, a second non-conductive fabric layer, a piezoresistive core layer between the first non-conductive fabric layer and the second fabric non-conductive layer, and a first conductive layer comprising a plurality of first conductive fiber traces and located between the first non-conductive fabric layer and the second non-conductive fabric layer. A localized impedance of the piezoresistive core layer indicates a mechanical force applied to the fabric cover proximate to such localized impedance.

Conductive yarns in a knitted fabric may include insulating cores covered with metal layers that form signal paths. Open circuits may be formed in the yarns by removing metal from the insulating cores at selected locations within the yarns. The fabric may be formed from rows of interlocked loops of the yarn. The open circuits may be located on the loops so that each loop with an open circuit has a first segment of the metal layer that is separated from a second segment of the layer by a portion of the loop from which the metal layer has been removed. Each electrical component may have terminals that span a respective one of the open circuits and that are shorted respectively to the metal of the first and second segments.

A tampering detection system for a dispensing nozzle of a dispensing system in which the dispensing nozzle is inserted into a connecting piece of the dispensing system comprises a flat, tactile sensor comprising at least two pressure sensitive and individually evaluable sensor segments. The sensor is arranged between the connecting piece and the dispensing nozzle and extends along an inner circumference of the connecting piece in a connecting region for the dispensing nozzle. The tamper detection system further comprises an evaluation unit connected to the sensor segments to detect a pressure acting on each of the sensor segments.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting liquid in a textile article using one or more flexible sensors integrated in the textile article. The sensor data is forwarded to a computing device via a communication link by an interface element associated with the textile article. The computing device detects a location of liquid in the textile article proximate to the one or more flexible sensors based on a determination that a criterion is met.

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

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 textile panel including a knitted or woven textile layer (12) having yarn of a first type (14), and a coating applied to at least one face of the textile layer. The textile layer includes at least one textile sensor (18) formed by an electrically conductive region of the textile layer which includes yarn (16) of a second type incorporated in the knit or weave of the textile layer, the second type of yarn being electrically conductive. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing a textile panel, including knitting or weaving a textile layer (12) using a first type of yarn (14) and a second type of yarn (16), the second type of yarn being incorporated in the knit or weave of the textile layer in at least one predetermined region to form a textile sensor, the method further including applying a coating to the textile layer.

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.

Disclosed are an electrochromic element, device, and product, and a manufacturing method therefor. The electrochromic device (7) comprises: an electrochromic yarn (6), an ion storage yarn (18), and a power source (8), wherein the electrochromic yarn (6) contains a first flexible conductive yarn (5) and an electrochromic layer (4) coated on a surface layer of the first flexible conductive yarn (5); the ion storage yarn (18) contains a second flexible conductive yarn (1) and an ion storage layer (17) coated on a surface layer of the second flexible conductive yarn (1); and the first flexible conductive yarn (5) is electrically connected to a negative electrode of the power source (8), and the second flexible conductive yarn (1) is electrically connected to a positive electrode of the power source (8). The electrochromic device (7) can achieve a clear color development effect and make an electrochromic material have a good fastness. The preparation method is simple to operate and easily realizes industrial batch production.

A thermoelectric flexible mat may include a first large surface and a second large surface. The mat may also include a plurality of p-doped elements and a plurality of n-doped elements disposed in an alternating manner with one another and electrically interconnected to a series circuit via a plurality of electrically conductive conductor bridges. The plurality of conductor bridges of the series circuit may be assigned, at least in regions, to the first large surface and the second large surface such that the first large surface defines a hot side and the second large surface defines a cold side. An absorptive absorption structure may connect the hot side and the cold side. The absorption structure may be structured and arranged such that any liquid present on the cold side is absorbable into the absorption structure and transportable to the hot side via the absorption structure.