Smart Textiles and Recent Developments

Abstract

The continual shrinkage of the textile industry in the western world has amply raised interest in intelligent/smart textiles. Textiles that are able to sense stimuli from the environment, react to them and adapt to them by the amalgamation of various functionalities in the textile structure. Advances in smart electronics enable wearable sensor devices, and there are a number of devices that are near or already on the market. One of the most common applications of smart textiles is in the area of health and fitness management. Temperature control is considered as a common consideration in smart textile production. Medical applications of wearable smart textiles in the current world are limitless and endless. Smart textiles have a large range of applications, often starting as a highly specialized application before becoming a more generally available consumer product. Implementation of wearable smart textiles in the workplace increases the overall safety through the use of anti-static and conductive properties.