South Korea’s research team has developed ‘electronic fiber’ that can be worn by attaching it to clothing. If this technology is applied, wearable computers or health monitoring sensors that measure heartbeats and others can be developed.
Research team led by Professor Ko Heung-jo of GIST (Gwangju Institute Science and Technology) made an announcement on the 7th that it has developed a technology that can manufacture electronic fiber that can be attached to clothing through increased adhesive strength by using ‘artificial cilia structure’.
Result of this research was published on international scientific journal called ‘Nature Communications’.
Electronic fiber indicates a material that is flexible like an actual clothing and has electricity flowing. Electronic fiber is manufactured by printing an element, which is made through a semiconductor process, onto a fabric. Most important part of electronic fiber is to maintain adhesive strength so that a fabric and an element can be remained attached even when there is friction or when a person is moving.
Research team made ‘artificial cilia structure’ around polymerized flexible board, which has thickness of µms, and covered surface of a fabric with it. Also by using very small amount of adhesive around artificial cilia, it was able to secure adhesive strength that allows it to be used as electronic fiber while also retaining fiber’s characteristics.
After research team tested electronic fiber in real life to test its electric performance, research team saw that electronic fiber was able to carry out its normal functions even when there were normal movements. Also during a test where research team pulled fiber 10,000 times and a test where research team submerged electronic fiber in water with detergent for 20 minutes, washed it for 30 minutes, and dried it, electronic fiber was able to maintain its characteristics.
“By improving previous electronic fiber technology that was limited to simple structures, we were able to attach high-performance and high-density elements onto fabrics that have complicated structures of surface. said Professor Ko Heung-jo. “It will be used in variety of fields such as wearable displays that can be easily worn and health and environment monitoring sensors.”
Staff Reporter Seo, Injoo | sij@etnews.com