E-TEXTILES

A Technical Seminar Report Submitted to

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, HYDERABAD

In partial fulfillment of the requirement

for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

in

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Submitted by

AKENA SUJAN (HT.No: 19N01A0403)

Under the guidance of

Mr. R. ARUN KUMAR

Assistant Professor

Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering,

SREE CHAITANYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
(Affiliated to JNTUH, HYDERABAD)
THIMMAPOOR, KARIMNAGAR, TS-505 527.
2019-2023
 SREE CHAITANYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
KARIMNAGAR-505 527

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project report entitled “E-TEXTILES” is being submitted by
AKENA SUJAN bearing a Hall ticket no: 19N01A0403 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication
Engineering, to the Sree Chaitanya College of Engineering, Karimnagar, is a bonafide work
carried out by him under my guidance and supervision.
The result embodied in this report has not been submitted to any other University or
Institution for the award of any degree or diploma.

Project Guide Head of the Department

Mr. R. ARUN KUMAR Dr. S. NARESH KUMAR
Assistant Professor Assistant Professor&HOD
Department of ECE Department of ECE
Sree Chaitanya College of Sree Chaitanya College of
Engineering Engineering

i
 SREE CHAITANYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
(Affiliated to JNTUH, HYDERABAD)
THIMMAPUR, KARIMNAGAR, TELANGANA-505 527
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the work which is being presented in this dissertation entitled, “ E-

TEXTILES”, submitted towards the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the
degree of Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sree Chaitanya
College of Engineering, Karimnagar is an authentic record of my own work carried out under the
supervision of Mr. R. ARUN KUMAR, Associate Professor, Department of ECE, Sree Chaitanya
College of Engineering, Karimnagar.

To the best of my knowledge and belief, this project bears no resemblance with any report
submitted to Sree Chaitanya College of Engineering or any other University for the award of any
degree or diploma.

A. SUJAN (HT.NO:19N01A0403)

Date:
Place:

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The satisfaction that accomplishes the successful completion of any task would be incomplete
without the mention of the people who make it possible and whose constant guidance and
encouragement crown all the efforts with success.
It is my privilege and pleasure to express my profound sense of respect, gratitude and
indebtedness to my guide Mr. R. ARUN KUMAR, Associate Professor, Department of ECE, Sree
Chaitanya College of Engineering, for his constant guidance, inspiration, and constant encouragement
throughout this project work.
I wish to express my deep gratitude to Dr. S Naresh Kumar, Associate Professor & HOD,
Department of ECE, Sree Chaitanya College of Engineering, karimnagarfor his cooperation and
encouragement, in addition to providing necessary facilities throughout the project work
I sincerely extend my thanks to Dr. G VENKATESWARLU, Principal, SREE
CHAITANYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, Karimnagar.
I would like to thank all the staff and all my friends for their good wishes, their helping hand
and constructive criticism, which led the successful completion of this project.
I am immensely indebted to my parents, brother and sisters for their love and unshakable belief
in me and the understanding and ever-decreasing grudges for not spending time more often. I will now,
since the excuse is in the process of vanishing by being printed on these very pages.
Finally, I thank all those who directly and indirectly helped me in this regard I apologize for
not listing everyone here.

A. SUJAN

iii
 ABSTRACT

Electronic textiles also known as smart garments which are fabrics that enable
digital components such as a battery and a light (including small computers), and electronics to
be embedded in them. Smart textiles are fabrics that have been developed with new technologies
that provide added value to the wearer. The advancement of sensing technologies, Nano-technologies,
embedded system, wireless communication technologies and miniaturization make it possible to
develop smart systems to monitor activities of human beings. The vision behind wearable
computing foresees future electronic systems to be an integral part of our everyday outfits.
Wearable systems will be characterized by their ability to automatically recognize the activity and the
behavioral status of their own user as well as of the situation around her/him, and to use this
information to adjust the systems configuration and functionality. It can detect abnormal and
unforeseen situations by monitoring physical parameters along with other symptoms.

iv
 CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE N0.

CERTIFICATE i

DECLARATION ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ABSTRACT iv

CONTENTS v-vi

LIST OF FIGURES vii

CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction of E-Textiles 1
1.2 Converting General textile to e-textile 2

Chapter-2
HISTORY OF E-TEXTILES 3-4

Chapter-3
MATERIALS, CONNECTIONS AND FABRICATION METHODS
3.1 Adapted fabrics 5
3.2 Electrical components 6
3.3 Textile circuit elements 7

Chapter-4
SMART FIBRIC SENSORS
4.1 Capacitive pressure sensors 8
4.2 Resistive pressure sensors 9

v
Chapter-5
WEARABLE E-TEXTILES 10-11

Chapter-6
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
6.1 Advantages 12
6.2 Disadvantages 12

Chapter-7
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 13
CONCLUTION 14
REFERENCES 15

vi
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIG N0. FIGURE NAME PAGE NO.

Fig.1.1 Multidisciplinary approach to
e-textiles 1
Fig.1.2 Wearable e-textile using a textile-
Centric design approach 2
Fig.2.1 A Historical review of the development
of electronic textiles 3
Fig.3.2 Textile and electronic materials used
In e-textiles 6
Fig.3.3 Textile electrode used to sense biological
Signals such as electrocardiography 7
Fig.4.1 Flexible capavitive pressure sensor 8
Fig.4.2 Embroidered resistive pressure sensor 9
Fig.5.1 Wearable e-textiles 10

vii
 CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION OF E-TEXTILES

Electronic textiles or e-textiles are fabrics that enable electronic components such as batteries,
lights, sensors, and microcontrollers to be embedded in them. They are not to be confused with smart
textiles, which are fabrics that have been developed with new technologies that provide added
value. Many smart clothing, wearable technology, and wearable computing projects involve the use of
e-textiles.

Electronic textiles are distinct from wearable computing because the emphasis is placed on the
seamless integration of textiles with electronic elements like microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators.
Furthermore, e-textiles need not be wearable. For instance, e-textiles are also found in interior design.

A new report from Cientifica Research examines the markets for textile-based wearable
technologies, the companies producing them, and the enabling technologies. The report identifies three
distinct generations of textile wearable technologies:

1. "First-generation" attach a sensor to apparel. This approach is currently taken by sportswear

brands such as Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour

2. "Second-generation" products embed the sensor in the garment, as demonstrated by current

products from Samsung, Alphabet, Ralph Lauren, and Flex.

3. In "third-generation" wearables, the garment is the sensor. A growing number of companies are
creating pressure, strain, and temperature sensors for this purpose.

Fig.1.1: Multidisciplinary approach to e-textiles

1
 Future applications for e-textiles may be developed for sports and well-being products, and
medical devices for patient monitoring. Technical textiles, fashion and entertainment will also be
significant applications.

1.2 Converting General textile to e-textile

There are many way to convert ordinary garment to electrically modified garment. We can do
that by

• Making conductive thread/yarn

• Making conductive fabric
• Using conductive ink
• Using optical fiber
• Adding electronic product severally with associate tools
• Adding sensors to get real time data

Fig.1.2: Wearable E-Textiles Using a Textile-Centric Design Approach

2
 CHAPTER-2

HISTORY OF E-TEXTILES

The basic materials needed to construct e-textiles, conductive threads, and fabrics have been
around for over 1000 years. In particular, artisans have been wrapping fine metal foils, most often gold
and silver, around fabric threads for centuries. Many of Queen Elizabeth I's gowns, for example, were
embroidered with gold-wrapped threads.
At the end of the 19th century, as people developed and grew accustomed to electric
appliances, designers and engineers began to combine electricity with clothing and jewelry—
developing a series of illuminated and motorized necklaces, hats, brooches and costumes. For
example, in the late 1800s, a person could hire young women adorned in light-studded evening gowns
from the Electric Girl Lighting Company to provide cocktail party entertainment.
In 1968, the Museum of Contemporary Craft in New York City held a ground-breaking
exhibition called Body Covering that focused on the relationship between technology and apparel. The
show featured astronauts' space suits along with clothing that could inflate and deflate, light up, and
heat and cool itself. Particularly noteworthy in this collection was the work of Diana Dew, a designer
who created a line of electronic fashion, including electroluminescent party dresses and belts that
could sound alarm sirens.

Fig.2.1: A Historical Review of the Development of Electronic Textiles

3
 In 1985, inventor Harry Wainwright created the first fully animated sweatshirt. The shirt
consisted of fiber optics, leads, and a microprocessor to control individual frames of animation. The
result was a full-color cartoon displayed on the surface of the shirt. in 1995, Wainwright went on to
invent the first machine enabling fiber optics to be machined into fabrics, the process needed for
manufacturing enough for mass markets and, in 1997, hired a German machine designer, Herbert
Selbach, from Selbach Machinery to produce the world's first CNC machine able to automatically
implant fiber optics into any flexible material. Receiving the first of a dozen patents based on
LED/Optic displays and machinery in 1989, the first CNC machines went into production in 1998
beginning with the production of animated coats for Disney Parks in 1998. The first ECG bio-physical
display jackets employing LED/optic displays were created by Wainwright and David Bychkov, the
CEO of Exmovere at the time in 2005 using GSR sensors in a watch connected via Bluetooth to the
embedded machine washable display in a denim jacket and were demonstrated at the Smart Fabrics
Conference held in Washington, D.C. May 7, 2007.
In the mid-1990s a team of MIT researchers led by Steve Mann, Thad Starner, and Sandy
Pentland began to develop what they termed wearable computers. These devices consisted of
traditional computer hardware attached to and carried on the body. In response to technical, social, and
design challenges faced by these researchers, another group at MIT, which included Maggie Orth and
Rehmi Post, began to explore how such devices might be more gracefully integrated into clothing and
other soft substrates. Among other developments, this team explored integrating digital electronics
with conductive fabrics and developed a method for embroidering electronic circuits.[12][13] One of the
first commercially available wearable Arduino based microcontrollers, called the Lilypad Arduino,
was also created at the MIT Media Lab by Leah Buechley.

4
 CHAPTER-3

MATERIALS, CONNECTIONS AND FABRICATION METHODS

The wearable e-textiles can be made with several materials using different fabrication methods.
The selected materials and fabrication methods are always interconnected with the final application.
This makes e-textile a multidisciplinary research field, with the need of expertise in several fields, such
as textile, materials, electronics, mechanics, and computer engineering.

3.1 Adapted Fabrics: E-Textiles Fabrication Methods

Over the past decade, it has been proved that traditional fabrication methods that are used to
produce conventional textiles could be used in e-textiles production too. The development of flexible
conductive yarns with diameters that are similar to the conventional textile yarns enable the use of
traditional fabrication methods to merge conductive threads with non-conductive threads. The
conductive yarns incorporation processes into conventional textiles threads can be manually done by
sewing conductive yarns or automatically through embroidery , weaving , knitting , and breading
machines .
Coating non-conductive yarns with metals, galvanic substances or metallic salts can also be used
to make electrical conductive yarns from pure textile threads, which also enables an e-textile
production. Common textile coating processes include electroless plating , chemical vapor deposition ,
sputtering , and with a conductive polymer coating .
Stamping conductive inks is also an alternative to embed conductive lines into textiles. There are
several technologies that can print conductive material on textile substrates, but all of them use
conductive inks with high conductive metals, such as silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and gold (Au).
Connections to data acquisition systems are achieved by either mechanical or electrical
mechanisms. This way, textile structure platforms as woven, knitted, or nets can be used to produce e-
textiles, avoiding attaching electronics to textile substrates.

5
3.2 Electrical Components
The wearable e-textiles would not be possible without electrical components, such as electrodes,
connectors, and interconnectors. When wearable e-textiles are used for the acquisition of electrical
biological signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG), the electrodes are the bridge between the body
and the circuit. When there is no need of electrical signal acquisition, there is still the need of
connectors and interconnectors in order to bridge the textile with the electronics.
Copper wire can be used in applications without skin contact, and silver thread can be used in
applications that requires direct contact with skin. The energy needed to power e-textile circuits is
normally provided from Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries. The LiPo batteries are selected accordingly
to a tradeoff between power autonomy and battery size. The goal is to select the smallest LiPo battery
that is able to supply the e-textile circuit power demands during a predefined amount of time. There
are also research projects developing energy harvesting solutions that are embedded into e-textiles
[24]. With energy harvesting solutions, it is possible to charge small LiPo batteries, keeping the e-
textile energy demands during use.

Fig.3.2: Textile and electronic materials used in e-textiles

6
(a) Solder and polyester thread used into e-textiles; (b) E-textile capacitor; (c) Printed Circuit Board
(PCB) for e-textiles; (d) Casing shell for e-textiles; (e) Vibration motor; (f) Elektrisola textile
conductive wire; (g) Bekintex conductive thread; (h) Lithium-ion battery used to power e-textiles; and,
(i) Slide switch used to switch On/Off e-textiles.

3.3 Textile Circuit Elements

Textile circuit elements can be built to be adapted to the textile substrates. Small electric
components can be sewn into the conductive lines on fabrics either directly or using sockets attached
to the fabric with connection resistivity that is lower than 1 Ω. Gripper snaps and textile switches can
also be used in order to ensure connectivity, allowing strong connections.
Electronic elements can be made out of conductive thread by sewing thread fibers in patterns,
with multiple crossings, to achieve desired electrical properties. Conductive properties can be given to
threads by several techniques before and after the thread manufacturing process.

Fig.3.3: Textile electrode used to sense biological signals such as electrocardiography

7
 CHAPTER-4

SMART FIBRIC SENSORS

4.1 Capacitive Pressure Sensors

Usually, capacitive pressure sensors are made on textiles that can be sewn, snapped, or glued to
a fabric substrate and welded to other electronics or wires. Textile capacitors can also be made from
compliant conductive materials that are acting as conductive plates separated by dielectrics. The
conductive plates can be woven, sewn, and embroidered with conductive thread/fabrics, or they can be
painted, printed, sputtered, or screened with conductive inks , or conductive polymers. The dielectrics
used are typically synthetic foams, fabric spacers, and/or soft non-conductive polymers. Capacitive
fibers can also be manufactured using techniques that are similar to those found in flexible electronics,
such as a silicon fiber sputtered with metals.
The capacitance of a capacitive pressure sensor depends on the area of two conductive parallel
plans, the conductive material and the distance between each other. Keeping the same area for the
conductive plates the capacitance will change with the distance between them. When the distance
between the conductive plates decreases, the capacitance increases, and when the distance between the
conductive plates increases, the capacitance decreases.

Fig.4.1: Flexible Capacitive Pressure Sensor

8
 It is possible to see that the conductive element and production technique influence not only the
pressure range measurement but also measurement sensitivity. Embroidery of conductive thread into
textile substrates produces capacitor pressure sensors with low resolution that are good to make
seamless e-textile press buttons. The CrossliteTM capacitor production technique is able to produce
capacitive pressure sensors with higher resolutions that can be used sense pressures over time.

4.2 Resistive Pressure Sensors

The resistive pressure sensors have a correlation between pressure and electrical resistance.
These sensors can be made of different conductive materials in different structures using different
production techniques. The variable resistive materials can be sewn, embroidered or glued to the
textile substrate to measure pressure. The working principle of a resistive pressure sensor is based on
an electric resistance that increases when the resistive material is stretched or compressed. According
to Ohm’s Law (V = R*I), for the same electric current, a higher resistance makes the output voltage
increase. This way, the stretch or compression can be correlated to the sensed voltage.

Fig.4.2: Embroidered Resistive Pressure Sensor

9
 CHAPTER-5

WEARABLE E-TEXTILES

Everyday, new wearable e-textile products come to the market with different useful
functionalities. Three examples of commercially available textile based wearable e-textiles from three
different brands.
Besides the commercial wearable e-textile products, there are also research projects in the
medical field that aim to develop new e-textiles to improve diagnostic and treatment of several diseases.
Wearable e-textiles with embedded textile electrodes are being developed to detect a variety of
biological signals, such as electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyogram (EMG) , as well as to measure
body impedance and skin conductance . With the ECG detection, it is possible to do an early diagnostic
of heart diseases, which can prevent sudden deaths. The EMG signal measurement is useful to evaluate
physiotherapy treatment of gait cycle disorders or stroke rehabilitation . The body impedance and skin
conductance measurements are useful to evaluate the body hydration levels, thus helping to prevent
dehydration . Wearable e-textiles with functional electrical stimulation (FES) are also under
development to be used in the treatment of gait disorders such as foot drop . New wearable e-textiles are
under development to build functional soft orthotic devices useful in the treatment of ankle-knee injuries
. Insomnia disorders can also be treated with wearable e-textiles able to control body temperature during
sleep.

Fig.5.1: Wearable E-Textiles

10
 Fig.5.1 shows three examples of commercially available textile based wearable e-textiles from
three different brands. Fig 5(a) a shows a hat commercialized by Zeroi with bone conduction
technology. With this hat, the user can listen music or answer phone calls. The bone conduction
technology is seamless embedded into the hat, which avoids a bionic stigma and makes this e-textile
suitable for outdoor activities. The sound waves bypass the eardrums, going directly to the cochlea
where the sounds waves are decoded. Fig 5(b) shows a smart sock with a foot pressure measurement
technology and walking distance measurement that can be used to measure sports performance. The
electronic components of this product are detachable in order to wash the textile part of the socks. The
collected data is sent wirelessly to a mobile application running into a smartphone. With this e-textile,
runners can see the pressure profile of the foot sole and then practice their gait cycle to achieve a
better performance. Fig 5(c) shows an airbag jacket that can be used to prevent serious injuries when a
motorcycle accident occurs. The jacket has an accelerometer that detects falls and triggers the airbag
before the road impact. The airbag is inflated with a small bottle of gas that needs to be replaced when
the airbag is triggered. Tests performed with the airbag jacket show that, in the case of a fall, the
impact forces with the ground do not exceed 2 kN. The traditional motorcycle protecting jackets have
impact forces that range from 20 to 35 kN.

11
 CHAPTER-6
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

6.1 ADVANTAGES

Like normal fabrics, they provide comfort, durability and resistant to regular textile maintenance
processes.
➨They allow incorporation of latest technological elements in everyday clothes or textiles.

➨They are flexible and invisible to others.

➨No wires are used to snag the environment.

➨Thermal resistant and electrical resistant

➨They have large surface area for sensing.

➨Cheap manufacturing makes it more affordable for both consumer electronics and military
applications.

6.2 DISADVANTAGES

The existing technology is not completely waterproof. Hence they can not be worn continually under
rainy environment.
➨Smart fabrics used in medical applications require calibration as per government requirements.

➨They are yet to be commecialized and yet to be developed for children.

➨Due to durability of the materials, they get implicated by harsh environmental conditions.

➨Not as flexible as normal textile clothing

➨Limited reliability compare to textile clothes

➨They have specific range of applications

➨They have limited processing and storage capability.

12
 CHAPTER-7

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

The future of wearable e-textiles will be dictated by the ability to manufacture products with
seamless embedded electronics useful to fulfill daily needs. Multinational business companies are
endorsing the design and development of e-textiles, helping the market penetration. At the same time,
traditional textile business companies envision e-textiles production as a competitive advantage.
Private users, compelled by the advantages of e-textiles, buy these products to use them in sports and
daily life activities (where they can have an important role, e.g., in healthcare), thus increasing the e-
textile market. The interest of business companies in the production of e-textiles together with the
interest by the market creates a new e-textile cluster. This e-textile cluster will help in the
development of production standards setting higher quality levels. The production standards will help
decrease the e-textile manufacturing time and final fabrication costs. However, many e-textile
technologies are still in the research phase where requirements such as washability, nontoxicity, and
resistance to tensile strength forces still need to be addressed. The development of new standard tests
to control the sources of e-textile failure, such as cyclic loads and current flow, are crucial to ensure e-
textile resistance overtime. Strategies for the encapsulation of components and extension of e-textile
lifetime also need to be improved. The development of e-textiles with energy harvesting features is
also an important challenge to overcome. These challenges increase with higher integration levels, due
to the higher number of degrees of freedom. When all of these challenges are met, e-textile mass
production will become a reality, thus achieving a major milestone for these materials. New wearable
e-textiles will always be both an opportunity for new markets but also a challenge to interact with
conventional electronics devices.

13
 CONCLUSION

The wearable e-textiles became one of the main research avenues in the textile field. The
useful features that are incorporated into e-textiles bring market advantages in several areas, such as
sports and healthcare. Common textile manufacturing machines and production techniques can be
used to produce e-textiles. Electrical components that are used in conventional electrical circuits can
also be used into e-textiles and new textile based electrical components, such as resistors, capacitors,
and antennas are also being developed. Thus, the available materials and technologies provide
sufficient range to be tuned and adapted for e-textiles. Wearable textile based sensors are developed in
order to produce wearable seamless sensing solutions avoiding bionic stigma. Business companies
already perceived the wearable e-textiles business potential and are developing e-textile products to
incorporate them in their product portfolios. The wearable e-textiles are still a new field with
opportunities to build innovative products that can revolutionize the way that persons interact with
their garments.

14
 REFERENCES

1. Sazonov, E.; Neuman, M.R. Wearable Sensors: Fundamentals, Implementation and

Applications; Elsevier: San Diego, CA, USA, 2014.
2. Poupyrev, I.; Gong, N.-W.; Fukuhara, S.; Karagozler, M.E.; Schwesig, C.; Robinson, K.E.
Project Jacquard: Interactive digital textiles at scale. In Proceedings of the 2016 CHI
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, San Jose, CA, USA, 7–12 May 2016;
ACM: New York, NY, USA, 2016; pp. 4216–4227.
3. Cherenack, K.; van Pieterson, L. Smart textiles: Challenges and opportunities. J. Appl.
Phys. 2012, 112, 091301.
4. McLaren, R.; Joseph, F.; Baguley, C.; Taylor, D. A review of e-textiles in neurological
rehabilitation: How close are we? J. Neuroeng. Rehabil. 2016, 13, 59.
5. Helmer, R.; Blanchonette, I.; Farrow, D.; Baker, J.; Phillips, E. Interactive biomechanics and
electronic textiles. In Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of Biomechanics in Sports,
Melbourne, Australia, 2–6 July 2012.
6. Patel, S.; Park, H.; Bonato, P.; Chan, L.; Rodgers, M. A review of wearable sensors and
systems with application in rehabilitation. J. Neuroeng. Rehabil. 2012, 9, 21.
7. De Rossi, D.; Veltink, P. Wearable technology for biomechanics: E-textile or micromechanical
sensors? IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Mag. 2010, 29, 37–43.
8. Tognetti, A.; de Rossi, D.; Lorussi, F.; Dalle Mura, G.; Pacelli, M.; Carbonaro, N.; Paradiso, R.
New generation of wearable goniometers for motion capture systems. J. Neuroeng.
Rehabil. 2014, 11, 56.
9. Shorter, K.A.; Kogler, G.F.; Loth, E.; Durfee, W.K.; Hsiao-Wecksler, E.T. A portable powered
ankle-foot orthosis for rehabilitation. J. Rehabil. Res. Dev. 2011, 48, 459–472.

15