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- Chemical & Engineering News on BeBop
Sensors Smart Fabric: “Beyond new fibers and yarns, some
innovators are looking to embed textiles with sensors to create
‘smart fabric.’ Keith McMillen, who heads BeBop Sensors in
California, explains that his firm does this by chemically
treating fabric with conductive polymer coatings.”
http://cen.acs.org/articles/95/i25/US-textile-makers-look-revival.html
by Marc S. Reisch
By
Chemical & Engineering News
Beyond new fibers and yarns, some
innovators are looking to embed textiles with sensors to create “smart
fabric.” Keith McMillen, who heads BeBop Sensors in California, explains
that his firm does this by chemically treating fabric with conductive
polymer coatings.
When a user stretches or puts pressure on the fabric sensors, current
flow is affected, McMillen says. Printed electronic traces bring signals
from the sensors to a computer chip that can measure a runner’s gait,
monitor a wearer’s heart rate, or sense a person’s body temperature.
BeBop recently introduced a control glove for virtual-reality
enthusiasts. Equipped with haptic sensors, the glove allows users to
“feel” objects virtually when playing computer games. Also on the
drawing board are car seat sensors linked to airbag deployment systems
to better protect occupants in case of a crash, McMillen says.
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