Singapore boffins weave a GUI into fabric, and it's machine washable too

What happened

A team led by Fu Heng, a research engineer at the National University of Singapore, made a special electronic fiber. They wove it into a wool sweater sleeve to make a simple screen-like interface, called a GUI (graphical user interface). The study was published this week in the science journal Nature.

Key numbers and facts

• Fibers can be about a millimeter thick and up to 10 meters long.
• Thousands of tiny light-emitting chips are attached to thin copper wires.
• The fabric survived 50 gentle machine washes.
• It survived 1,000 bending cycles without losing its function.
• Added parts include a microphone, a speaker, a temperature sensor and a light sensor.

How it works

The team used lasers to strip insulation off small spots on copper wires. They then attached light chips to those spots. The wires were put into a clear plastic tube. Two strips of a material that conducts electricity when squeezed made the fiber sensitive to pressure. The fibers are thin and bendy enough to be woven into cloth.

Why it matters

The idea is that clothes could one day work as computers. Instead of pulling a phone out of a pocket, you could use your sleeve. An expert from Stony Brook University said the work moves computing away from flat screens and toward fabrics that fit the body. She also said the features shown so far are simple, similar to early smartphones and tablets.

What to watch

• The control electronics are still separate. They connect to the fibers with cables.
• The fabric still needs external battery packs for power.
• Researchers want to build the electronics into the fabric more smoothly so it is easier to wear.
• Testing whether the fibers work with standard weaving, knitting and embroidery machines.