Abstract

By embedding conductive yarns in, or onto, knitted textile fabrics, simple but robust stretch sensor garments can be manufactured. In that way resistance based sensors can be fully integrated in textiles without compromising wearing comfort, stretchiness, washability, and ease of use in daily life. The many studies on such textile strain sensors that have been published in recent years show that these sensors work in principle, but closer inspection reveals that many of them still have severe practical limitations like a too narrow working range, lack of sensitivity, and undesired time-dependent and hysteresis effects. For those that intend to use this technology it is difficult to determine which manufacturing parameters, shape, stitch type, and materials to apply to realize a functional sensor for a given application. This paper therefore aims to serve as a guideline for the fashion designers, electronic engineers, textile researchers, movement scientists, and human–computer interaction specialists planning to create stretch sensor garments. The paper is limited to textile based sensors that can be constructed using commercially available conductive yarns and existing knitting and embroidery equipment. Within this subtopic, relevant literature is discussed, and a detailed quantitative comparison is provided focusing on sensor characteristics like the gauge factor, working range, and hysteresis.

Highlights

  • Garments are intimate, close to the body and have a natural potential for collecting and monitoring body-related signals

  • In the near future stretch sensors will be embedded into everyday objects like pillows and car seats and we will use them during our fitness workouts, to monitor and correct our posture or during our virtual reality gaming

  • Apart from that, strain sensor garments are beneficial for rehabilitation purposes where there is an urgent need for monitoring the recuperation of impaired body kinematics in situations of daily life activities [3]

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Summary

Introduction

Close to the body and have a natural potential for collecting and monitoring body-related signals. Garments with well integrated electronics can be personalized, are comfortable, unobtrusive, and do not show visible connecting wires and sensor electrodes. Such functional clothing has a much higher chance of being accepted to be worn in everyday life situations. Apart from that, strain sensor garments are beneficial for rehabilitation purposes where there is an urgent need for monitoring the recuperation of impaired body kinematics in situations of daily life activities [3]. Textile strain sensors are being evaluated in clinical rehabilitation settings, they still seem to lack sufficient resolution [4]

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