 and tested a knitted garment using their SMA textile that can precisely conform to that topography.
“We have designed leg and wrist sleeves that self-fit to the human body upon donning,” said Eschen. “They are knitted fabrics that utilize shape memory alloy fiber – a nickel-titanium alloy – which has a temperature-dependent material stiffness.”
When body heat or an external force warm the fabric, the material stiffness changes and the fabric changes its shape. “Through our fabric design process – designing the loop geometry and the knit pattern – we can predict the shape change and accomplish fabric conformity to the complex topography of the human body,” said Eschen.
Changing shape dynamically
Clothing created from the textile can easily transform from loose to tight-fitting, even bending uniquely to conform to places on the body that have irregular shapes, such as the back of the knee.
The team published a paper on its work in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies.
The textile can be used to create compression garments that are initially loose fitting and easy to put on, but which could subsequently shrink to tightly squeeze those wearing them. However, this is just one of many uses of the material for next-generation clothing. “I believe [these garments] will be an integral part of our life, sensing physiological changes to provide comfort and support, as well as offering haptic feedback to communicate while maintaining a low profile and looking/feeling like traditional fabrics,” said Eschen.
The researchers plan to continue their work to integrate the textiles into full-sized garments, as well as to better understand on a holistic level how the materials work to better tailor and improve their performance. “Predicting the lifetime performance of these fabrics will also be an important next step toward their realization in products,” said Eschen..
Elizabeth Montalbano is a freelance writer who has written about technology and culture for more than 20 years. She has lived and worked as a professional journalist in Phoenix, San Francisco and New York City. In her free time she enjoys surfing, traveling, music, yoga and cooking. She currently resides in a village on the southwest coast of Portugal.
January 28-30: North America's largest chip, board, and systems event, DesignCon, returns to Silicon Valley for its 25th year! The premier educational conference and technology exhibition, this three-day event brings together the brightest minds across the high-speed communications and semiconductor industries, who are looking to engineer the technology of tomorrow. DesignCon is your rocket to the future. Ready to come aboard? Register to attend!