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Textile Sensors and Related Applications

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Wearables".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 5697

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Prof. Dr. Lieva Van Langenhove

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Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Universiteit Gent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Interests: smart textiles; sensors; wearable textile system; textile antenna; surface modification
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Dr. Benny Malengier

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Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Universiteit Gent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Interests: algorithms and computational mathematics; mathematical modelling; multiscale modelling; comfort; smart textiles
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Dr. Melkie Getnet Tadesse

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Department of Sustainable Engineering (STE), Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, 72458 Albstadt, Germany
Interests: smart textile; wearable electronics; comfort; materials chemistry; materials engineering; polymer; chemistry; advanced functional textile; finishing; nanotechnology; microencapsulation; plasma surface modification; CVD

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of sensors based on textile materials allows the integration of these sensors in clothes in a truly invisible and non-invasive way. Many issues remain, however, not least because these sensors must be able to withstand the same environment as typical garments, including flexing, compression, washing, drying, and abrasion. Novel coating, printing, and lamination methods show great promise in broadening the application area of smart textile sensors.

This Special issue is motivated by the observed growing interest in the design, fabrication, and application of smart textiles in many fields and aims to gather novel developments in the creation and use of smart textile sensors, that is, sensors based on textile materials or which are seamlessly integrated with textile materials. We would like to give special attention to printing, screen printing, coating, and laminating techniques on fiber-based materials, as well innovative garment–fabric–yarn construction methods to achieve a sensing functionality.

Prof. Dr. Lieva Van Langenhove
Dr. Benny Malengier
Dr. Melkie Getnet Tadesse
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4025 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prototype of Data Collector from Textronic Sensors

by Ewa Korzeniewska, Rafał Zawiślak, Szymon Przybył, Piotr Sarna, Anna Bilska and Mariusz Mączka

Sensors 2023, 23(24), 9813; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23249813 - 14 Dec 2023

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Abstract

In the era of miniaturization of electronic equipment and the need to connect sensors with textile materials, including clothing, the processing of signals received from the implemented sensors becomes an important issue. Information obtained by measuring the electrical properties of the sensors must be sent, processed, and visualized. For this purpose, the authors of this article have developed a prototype of a data collector obtained from textronic sensors created on composite textile substrates. The device operates in a system consisting of an electronic module based on the nRF52 platform, which supports wireless communication with sensors using Bluetooth technology and transmits the obtained data to a database hosted on the Microsoft Azure platform. A mobile application based on React Native technology was created to control the data stream. The application enables automatic connection to the selected collector, data download and their presentation in the form of selected charts. Initial verification tests of the system showed the correctness and reliability of its operation, and the presented graphs created from the obtained data indicate the usefulness of the device in applications where measurements and recording of impedance, resistance, and temperature are necessary. The presented prototype of a data collector can be used for resistance, impedance, and temperature measurements in the case of textronic structures but also in other wearable electronic systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Textile Sensors and Related Applications)

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10 pages, 1559 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Textile-Based Body Capacitive Sensing for Knee Angle Monitoring

by Valeria Galli, Chakaveh Ahmadizadeh, Raffael Kunz and Carlo Menon

Sensors 2023, 23(24), 9657; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23249657 - 6 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1019

Abstract

Monitoring human movement is highly relevant in mobile health applications. Textile-based wearable solutions have the potential for continuous and unobtrusive monitoring. The precise estimation of joint angles is important in applications such as the prevention of osteoarthritis or in the assessment of the progress of physical rehabilitation. We propose a textile-based wearable device for knee angle estimation through capacitive sensors placed in different locations above the knee and in contact with the skin. We exploited this modality to enhance the baseline value of the capacitive sensors, hence facilitating readout. Moreover, the sensors are fabricated with only one layer of conductive fabric, which facilitates the design and realization of the wearable device. We observed the capability of our system to predict knee sagittal angle in comparison to gold-standard optical motion capture during knee flexion from a seated position and squats: the results showed an R² coefficient between 0.77 and 0.99, root mean squared errors between 4.15 and 12.19 degrees, and mean absolute errors between 3.28 and 10.34 degrees. Squat movements generally yielded more accurate predictions than knee flexion from a seated position. The combination of the data from multiple sensors resulted in R² coefficient values of 0.88 or higher. This preliminary work demonstrates the feasibility of the presented system. Future work should include more participants to further assess the accuracy and repeatability in the presence of larger interpersonal variability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Textile Sensors and Related Applications)

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10 pages, 2630 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Textile Antenna Sensor in SIW Technology for Liquid Characterization

by Mariam El Gharbi, Maurizio Bozzi, Raúl Fernández-García and Ignacio Gil

Sensors 2023, 23(18), 7835; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23187835 - 12 Sep 2023

Viewed by 970

Abstract

This study showcases the creation of an innovative textile antenna sensor that utilizes a resonant cavity for the purpose of liquid characterization. The cavity is based on circular substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. A hole is created in the middle of the structure where a pipe is used to inject the liquid under test. The pipe is covered by a metal sheath to enhance the electromagnetic field’s penetration of the tube, thus increasing the device’s sensitivity. The resonance frequency of the proposed system is altered when the liquid under test is inserted into the sensitive area of the structure. The sensing of the liquid is achieved by the measurement of its dielectric properties via the perturbation of the electric fields in the SIW configuration. The S₁₁ measurement enables the extraction of the electromagnetic properties of the liquid injected into the pipe. Specifically, the dielectric constant of the liquid is determined by observing the resonance frequency shift relative to that of an air-filled pipe. The loss tangent of the liquid is extracted by comparing the variation in the quality factor with that of an air-filled pipe after eliminating the inherent losses of the structure. The proposed SIW antenna sensor demonstrates a high sensitivity of 0.7 GHz/Δε_r corresponding to a dielectric constant range from 4 to 72. To the best of our knowledge, this article presents for the first time the ability of a fully textile SIW cavity antenna-based sensor to characterize the dielectric properties of a liquid under test and emphasizes its differentiating features compared to PCB-based designs. The unique attributes of the textile-based antenna stem from its flexibility, conformability, and compatibility with various liquids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Textile Sensors and Related Applications)

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15 pages, 5035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Novel Embroidered Textile-Electrodes Made from Hybrid Polyamide Conductive Threads for Surface EMG Sensing

by Bulcha Belay Etana, Benny Malengier, Timothy Kwa, Janarthanan Krishnamoorthy and Lieva Van Langenhove

Sensors 2023, 23(9), 4397; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23094397 - 29 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1676

Abstract

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of reports on textile-based dry electrodes that can detect biopotentials without the need for electrolytic gels. However, these textile electrodes have a higher electrode skin interface impedance due to the improper contact between the skin and the electrode, diminishing the reliability and repeatability of the sensor. To facilitate improved skin–electrode contact, the effects of load and holding contact pressure were monitored for an embroidered textile electrode composed of multifilament hybrid thread for its application as a surface electromyography (sEMG) sensor. The effect of the textile’s inter-electrode distance and double layering of embroidery that increases the density of the conductive threads were studied. Electrodes embroidered onto an elastic strap were wrapped around the forearm with a hook and loop fastener and tested for their performance. Time domain features such as the Root Mean Square (RMS), Average Rectified Value (ARV), and Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) were quantitatively monitored in relation to the contact pressure and load. Experiments were performed in triplicates, and the sEMG signal characteristics were observed for various loads (0, 2, 4, and 6 kg) and holding contact pressures (5, 10, and 20 mmHg). sEMG signals recorded with textile electrodes were comparable in amplitude to those recorded using typical Ag/AgCl electrodes (28.45 dB recorded), while the signal-to-noise ratios were, 11.77, 19.60, 19.91, and 20.93 dB for the different loads, and 21.33, 23.34, and 17.45 dB for different holding pressures. The signal quality increased as the elastic strap was tightened further, but a pressure higher than 20 mmHg is not recommended because of the discomfort experienced by the subjects during data collection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Textile Sensors and Related Applications)

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