Optical fibers conduct light along their fiber axis, which has been fed into the core of the fiber by a laser light source. By damaging the cladding, the light can also escape laterally, and unique light effects can be created, which are used for fashion and medical purposes.

Using special stitching equipment in the field of technical embroidery, Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP), optical fibers are automatically fixed to the textile as a laying medium. In this way, particularly individual designs can be realized.

Our electroluminescent textiles consist of several layers that build on each other. Based on a capacitor principle, a transparent electrode layer, a light-emitting layer and a final electrode layer are first applied to the back of a transparent, textile base structure. Thus, light is emitted through the textile substrate. The patterning of the front side of the textile was digitally printed so that the light is more prominent in non-printed areas.

Electrochromic coatings can be used to relize passive displays that change color when (low) voltage is applied. For this purpose, poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) was sprayed onto a polyethylene polyethylene terephthalate (PEPES) membrane. Together with an electrolyte layer, an ion storage layer and a textile counter electrode made of coated polyester fabric, it is possible to generate individually addressable pixels. These change color within just 2 seconds when a voltage of only 2 volts is applied. The textile pixel is born.

The full publication on the subject can be found at DOI: 10.3390/s20195691

Functional sequins are conventional decorative sequins which are provided with a conductive circuit layout by a specially modified process of printed circuit board technology and equipped with electronic components by means of automated assembly. Surface mounted devices such as light emitting diodes, pressure, temperature, acoustic, humidity and motion sensors, resistors and solar cells are predominantly used due to their very small size. The functional sequins are placed on a textile using embroidery technology in an automated process, attached and contacted with conventional embroidery thread or directly with a conductive embroidery thread. Not only the contacting is done with the conductive embroidery thread, but complex embroidered circuits can be designed textile by this.

Electrodes can pick up and release electrical impulses in a targeted manner. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and an electrically conductive yarn were processed into a textile electrode structure using a special knitting technique. The resulting bandage is designed to stimulate human muscles. For good impulse transmission and protection of the skin, an electrically conductive and stretchable hydrogel was developed for the electrode structure. The electrodes only make contact with the environment on one side and are sealed on the reverse side by PAN.