New Study Develops Stretchable Smart Fabric; See Details Here!

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A recent study by engineering researchers at Michigan State University has created the first stretchable integrated circuit that is made mainly with the use of an inkjet printer. The findings of the study further increase the possibility of someday having inexpensive mass production of smart fabric.

The finding could aid in the production of, for instance, ultrathin smart tablet that can be stretched easily from mini-size to extra large. This could also make possible the production of a rubber band-like wrist monitor that can measure a person's heartbeat or even wallpaper that turns the entire wall into an electronic display, and many more.

According to Eurekalert, these are just few of the potential applications of the stretchable smart fabric. It was developed in the lab of assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, Chuan Wang. The new technology is said to be less expensive compared to current technologies that are expensive to manufacture, as the material can be produced on a standard printer.

"We can conceivably make the costs of producing flexible electronics comparable to the costs of printing newspapers. Our work could soon lead to printed displays that can easily be stretched to larger sizes, as well as wearable electronics and soft robotics applications," Wang said.

According to Science Daily, the smart fabric is made up of several materials gotten from nanomaterials and organic compounds, which are then dissolved in solution to produce various electronic inks that the researchers run through the printer to create the devices.

The researchers have successfully created the elastic material - the circuit and the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) from the ink. The study authors then proceed to combine the circuit and OLED into a single pixel, which they estimate will probably take up to two years. They noted that there are generally millions of pixels under the screen of a smart tablet or a large display.

However, the smart fabric can be available for purchase once the researchers combine the circuit and OLED into a working pixel successfully. The researchers noted that the stretchable electronic fabric can be folded and placed in an owner's pocket without breaking. This is another added advantage over the current flexible electronics material technology that cannot be folded.