An Overview of Recent Developments in the Field of Wearable smart textiles

Abstract

Wearable smart textiles are fabrics that provide the wearer with enhanced functionality by displaying a set of favourable properties or by sensing, reacting, and/or adapting to stimuli in the environments to which they are exposed. Electronics are often integrated into these fabrics and the integration provides enhanced functionality to the wearer’s clothing. Functionality enhancements can be engineered for specific applications, thus permitting the development of smart textiles for many specific requirements such as enhancing the safety of the wearer, sensing and reporting of the biometrics of the wearer, heating or cooling of the body based on external requirements or contributing to enhanced performance in sports and related activities. This paper focuses on smart textiles that are worn by the user.