IKBFU Scientist Told About Smart Textiles in St. Petersburg’s Fashion Industry

Olga Moskaluk, the head of the Laboratory of polymer and composite materials SmartTextiles of I.Kant Baltic Federal University, told about "smart textile" and where it can be applied at Cosmo Fashion Weekend of St. Petersburg Fashion Week on April 14-16.

Olga Moskaluk:

Smart textile (e-textile) is a fabric with seamless integration with electronic elements such as microcontrollers, sensors and wires. Such materials are used in the manufacture of medical and sports clothing that controls many body functions in real time, interior parts and elements, and furniture upholstery. The history of smart textiles began when companies started placing wearable electronics in special compartments and pockets. These solutions belong to the first generation of "smart" clothing. Now this method is still used by some clothing manufacturers, such as Nike.

Smart textiles may also be used as components and connections within the structure of the fabric, they are invisible and immune to washing and cleaning, do not interfere with movements. When the level of integration and miniaturization of electronic nodes increases, it is possible to obtain a fully integrated electronic system in clothes: electronic modules, interconnections and sensors, data input devices, indicators, and in some cases even power sources can be woven into clothes, representing in the end a single whole.