A Fabric That Listens: The SonoTextiles Revolution
ETH Zurich recently unveiled a remarkable innovation: SonoTextiles, smart fabrics capable of detecting touch, pressure, and movement using ultrasonic waves. This technology is based on flexible glass microfibers integrated into the fabric, each equipped with piezoelectric transducers at their ends. These transducers emit and receive ultrasound at around 100 kHz, enabling the fabric to sense deformations and body movements with unprecedented precision.
How Does It Work?
Each microfiber acts as a waveguide. When a deformation occurs — for example, during movement or breathing — the propagation of ultrasonic waves is altered, changing their wavelength and energy. Thanks to distinct frequencies for each emitter, it is possible to precisely locate deformation areas without requiring high computational power.
Potential Applications
SonoTextiles offer promising prospects in various fields:
- Medical monitoring: real-time tracking of respiratory movements or patient posture.
- Sports: performance analysis and injury prevention through precise movement detection.
- Gesture interfaces: recognition of hand gestures to control devices without physical contact.
This technology could also be integrated into everyday clothing, making sensors invisible and non-intrusive.
Towards a New Era of Smart Textiles
Unlike other smart textile technologies, SonoTextiles stand out for their lightness, breathability, and ease of maintenance, making them suitable for daily use. By combining advances in acoustics and materials science, this innovation marks a significant step towards clothing capable of interacting intuitively with their environment and users.
Conclusion
SonoTextiles perfectly illustrate how integrating acoustic technologies into textiles can transform how we interact with our clothing and environment. By enabling fabrics to "feel" and "respond" to movements, this innovation paves the way for revolutionary applications in health, sports, and human-machine interfaces.
What applications do you envision for these smart acoustic fabrics?