Fabric circuits open a door to smarter clothes
A new development in material science opens the door for the development of more advanced Smart Clothing.
Key takeaways
- Academics in Hong Kong have used a computerised knitting machine to weave electrical circuits into clothing that can resist stretching, washing and even the impact of bullets.
- The details of their experiment were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A and it shows that the new fabric can tolerate a 20% deformation around 1 million times before it begins to fail.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Fabric circuits open a door to smarter clothes', 311 Institute, 19 October. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/fabric-circuits-help-pave-the-way-for-wearable-tech/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Many of today's smart clothes, such as those from Adidas, Athos, Nike, Ralf Lauren and Under Armour rely on sensors, such as EMG sensors, woven into the fabric to communicate information back to a unit or device that can process and analyse it but now a new discovery paves the way for clothing to be integrated with more powerful "on board" computer circuits and chips which could open up new use cases, if, that is, the technology ever finds its way into a commercial application.
Academics in Hong Kong have used a computerised knitting machine to weave electrical circuits into clothing that can resist stretching, washing and even the impact of bullets. The team from the University's Institute of Textiles and Clothing used copper coated in polyutherane to carry the current and then sewed these strands together with filaments of pre-stretched elastic yarn to create the finished garment which can then be integrated and augmented with a variety of chips and flexible circuits.
The details of their experiment were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A and it shows that the new fabric can tolerate a 20% deformation around 1 million times before it begins to fail. Meanwhile though, when it was tested in a domestic washing machine at 40°C, followed by tumble drying at 75°C after 30 such washing and drying cycles, 20% of samples showed some degradation in performance so there is evidently some way to go still before the prototype is production ready.
Fabric circuit demo reel, courtesy New Scientist
While the technology concept itself is novel and could indeed lead to a new proliferation of "Smart Clothing" some of the more interesting use cases for it could lie in the military sector.To demonstrate their circuits' suitability for the military and security segment, developers Qiao Li and Xiao Ming Tao, fitted a sample under a layer of Kevlar and shot it several times with a .45 hand gun. The fabric continued to function so, as a consequence, the team believe it could be integrated into smart body armour, which could communicate when a wearer had been shot, providing the field commanders and medics with extra intel.
What this means for your organisation
On-board computing changes the product.
Today's smart clothes mostly carry sensors that send data to a separate device for processing. Knitted circuits allow more capable computing inside the garment itself. Product leaders should ask what their products could decide locally rather than send away.
Durability decides viability.
The fabric survived a million deformation cycles, but a fifth of samples degraded after 30 wash and dry cycles. Laundry, not performance, is the hurdle. Apparel leaders should set washing durability as the gate for any smart garment.
Defence may adopt first.
Developers fitted a sample under body armour and shot it, and it kept working, suggesting armour that reports when a wearer has been hit. That use justifies a high price. Firms with early-stage materials should look for the sector that values them most.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- What could our products decide locally instead of sending away?
- Would our smart garments survive ordinary laundry?
- Which sector would pay most for our early-stage technology?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
A new development in material science opens the door for the development of more advanced Smart Clothing.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- B018RIB7QW amazon.com
- Electromyography en.wikipedia.org
- Proceedings of the Royal Society A rspa.royalsocietypublishing.org
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 19 October 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Fabric circuits open a door to smarter clothes. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/fabric-circuits-help-pave-the-way-for-wearable-tech/
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