Multimodal electronic textiles for intelligent human-machine interfaces

Abstract

Smart wearable electronic devices capable of information exchanging (such as human-machine interfaces) have developed into key carriers for the interconnection, intercommunication, and interaction between humans and machines. Multimodal electronic textiles that incorporate multifunctional sensors into daily clothing are an emerging technology to realize smart wearable electronics. This has greatly advanced human-machine interface technology by bridging the gap between wearing comfort and traditional wearable electronic devices, which will facilitate the rapid development and wide application of natural human-machine interfaces. In this article, we provide a comprehensive summary of the latest research progress on multimodal electronic textiles for intelligent human-machine interfaces. Firstly, we introduce the most representative electronic textile manufacturing strategies in terms of functional fiber preparation and multimodal textile forming. Then, we explore the multifunctional sensing capability of multimodal electronic textiles and emphasize their advanced applications in intelligent human-machine interfaces. Finally, we present new insights on the future research directions and the challenges faced in practical applications of multimodal electronic textiles.