Scaled up manufacturing of integrated e-textile sensors

E-textiles research with ECS has demonstrated the feasibility of integrating flexible electronic circuits invisibly within a fabric by placing the circuits within the core of a yarn or by weaving them separately into the textile. However, the work done to date uses hand weaving equipment and routing interconnecting wires is done manually. This is not compatible with high speed automated weaving machines and restricts the technology to more expensive niche applications. This project will develop manufacturing processes that enable circuits to be integrated as part of an industrial textile manufacturing process. Challenges include reliably mounting circuits on carrier yarns, defining circuit location, monitoring and detecting circuit location, automating the fabrication of interconnections thereby enabling complex multi-circuit designs to be realised. Multiple sensor circuits will be demonstrated in a single textile run and the textile will be used to build a base layer garment that includes multiple wireless inertial measurement sensors, invisibly embedded within the fabric and positioned at key locations and connected to a single power supply. The work will be supported by the consumables and travel budget associated with the RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies in E-Textiles Engineering and will benefit from collaborations within the textiles industry (Bower Roebuck) who will provide access to developmental production lines.