https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/scientists-develop-fully-woven-smart-display Home * Study at Cambridge * About the University * Research at Cambridge * For staff * For Cambridge students * For alumni * For our researchers * Business and enterprise * Colleges and Departments * Email and phone search * Give to Cambridge * Libraries * Museums and collections Search [Search ] Search Search [ ] Search * Study at Cambridge * Undergraduate + Courses + Applying + Events and open days + Fees and finance * Postgraduate + Why Cambridge? + Postgraduate courses + How to apply + Fees and funding + Frequently asked questions * International students * Continuing education * Executive and professional education * Courses in education * About the University * How the University and Colleges work * Term dates * History * Map * Visiting the University * Annual reports * Equality and diversity * News * A global university * Events * Public engagement * Jobs * Give to Cambridge * Research at Cambridge * For staff * For Cambridge students * For alumni * For our researchers * Business and enterprise * Colleges and Departments * Email and phone search * Give to Cambridge * Libraries * Museums and collections * Home * Research * News * Scientists develop fully woven, smart display Research * Research home * News * Our people * Spotlights * About research + About research overview + Animal research o Animal research overview o Overseeing animal research # Overseeing animal research overview # The Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body o Animal welfare and ethics o Report on the allegations and matters raised in the BUAV report o What types of animal do we use? # What types of animal do we use? overview # Chickens # Guinea pigs # Hamsters # Mice # Naked mole-rats # Non-human primates (marmosets and rhesus macaques) # Other birds # Pigs # Rats # Sheep # Xenopus # Zebrafish o Non-technical summaries o Animal Welfare Policy o Alternatives to animal use o FAQs o Further information + Funding Agency Committee Members + Research integrity + Horizons magazine + Strategic Initiatives & Networks + Nobel Prize + Interdisciplinary Research Centres + Open access + Energy sector partnerships + Podcasts o Podcasts overview o S2 ep1: What is the future? o S2 ep2: What did the future look like in the past? o S2 ep 3: What is the future of wellbeing? o S2 ep4: What would a more just future look like? o S2 ep 5: What is the future of artificial intelligence? o S2 ep 6: The future of reproduction * Business and enterprise * Research impact * Animal research Scientists develop fully woven, smart display [flexdisplays] Researchers have developed a 46-inch woven display with smart sensors, energy harvesting and storage integrated directly into the fabric. By integrating fibre-based electronics, photonic, sensing and energy functionalities, we can achieve a whole new class of smart devices and systems Luigi Occhipinti An international team of scientists have produced a fully woven smart textile display that integrates active electronic, sensing, energy and photonic functions. The functions are embedded directly into the fibres and yarns, which are manufactured using textile-based industrial processes. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, say their approach could lead to applications that sound like sci-fi: curtains that are also TVs, energy-harvesting carpets, and interactive, self-powered clothing and fabrics. This is the first time that a scalable large-area complex system has been integrated into textiles using an entirely fibre-based manufacturing approach. Their results are reported in the journal Nature Communications. Despite recent progress in the development of smart textiles, their functionality, dimensions and shapes are limited by current manufacturing processes. Integrating specialised fibres into textiles through conventional weaving or knitting processes means they could be incorporated into everyday objects, which opens up a huge range of potential applications. However, to date, the manufacturing of these fibres has been size limited, or the technology has not been compatible with textiles and the weaving process. To make the technology compatible with weaving, the researchers coated each fibre component with materials that can withstand enough stretching so they can be used on textile manufacturing equipment. The team also braided some of the fibre-based components to improve their reliability and durability. Finally, they connected multiple fibre components together using conductive adhesives and laser welding techniques. Using these techniques together, they were able to incorporate multiple functionalities into a large piece of woven fabric with standard, scalable textile manufacturing processes. The resulting fabric can operate as a display, monitor various inputs, or store energy for later use. The fabric can detect radiofrequency signals, touch, light and temperature. It can also be rolled up, and because it's made using commercial textile manufacturing techniques, large rolls of functional fabric could be made this way. The researchers say their prototype display paves the way to next-generation e-textile applications in sectors such as smart and energy-efficient buildings that can generate and store their own energy, Internet of Things (IoT), distributed sensor networks and interactive displays that are flexible and wearable when integrated with fabrics. "Our approach is built on the convergence of micro and nanotechnology, advanced displays, sensors, energy and technical textile manufacturing," said Professor Jong min Kim, from Cambridge's Department of Engineering, who co-led the research with Dr Luigi Occhipinti and Professor Manish Chhowalla. "This is a step towards the full exploitation of sustainable, convenient e-fibres and e-textiles in daily applications. And it's only the beginning." "By integrating fibre-based electronics, photonic, sensing and energy functionalities, we can achieve a whole new class of smart devices and systems," said Occhipinti, also from Cambridge's Department of Engineering. "By unleashing the full potential of textile manufacturing, we could soon see smart and energy-autonomous Internet of Things devices that are seamlessly integrated into everyday objects and many other sector applications." The researchers are working with European collaborators to make the technology sustainable and useable for everyday objects. They are also working to integrate sustainable materials as fibre components, providing a new class of energy textile systems. Their flexible and functional smart fabric could eventually be made into batteries, supercapacitors, solar panels and other devices. The research was funded in part by the European Commission and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Reference: H.W. Choi et al. 'Smart textile lighting/display system with multifunctional fibre devices for large scale smart home and IoT applications.' Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-022-28459-6 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Creative Commons License The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 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Subjects * displays * Advanced materials * Engineering People * Luigi Occhipinti * Manish Chhowalla * Jong min Kim Places * Department of Engineering * Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy * School of the Physical Sciences * School of Technology Horizons magazine Cover of Horizons edition 40 Download issue 40 (PDF) Connect with us * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * YouTube * LinkedIn * Sina Weibo Cambridge University (c) 2022 University of Cambridge * Contact the University * Accessibility * Freedom of information * Privacy policy and cookies * Statement on Modern Slavery * Terms and conditions * University A-Z Study at Cambridge * Undergraduate * Postgraduate * Continuing education * Executive and professional education * Courses in education About the University * How the University and Colleges work * Give to Cambridge * Jobs * Maps * Visiting the University Research at Cambridge * Research news * About research at Cambridge * Public engagement * Spotlight on... *