Smart Clothing
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Microscopic chain mail made from miniscule metal links has been made by US researchers. It could ultimately be used to create textiles with sensors and other electronics built in. |
Jonathan Engel and Chang Liu at the UIUC, made their chain mail using manufacturing techniques borrowed from the microchip industry. The fabric has a similar tensile strength to nylon, can be bent around any shape and stretches to increase its length by one-third. It also readily conducts electricity.
The researchers were motivated to find flexible materials in which electronic sensors could be embedded. The fabric could be used to make smart clothing. Microchip-scale electronic components could perhaps also one day be built directly into the links of the chain-mail and this would allow sensors, communications or power components to be completely embedded within fully flexible fabrics.
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