Functionalizing e-Textiles Using Printed Films and Washable Flexible Filament Circuits

Electronic functionality can be added to textiles using printed functional materials or invisibly integrating flexible electronics with the yarn or fabric structure. This talk described a suite of textile-compatible screen printable inks that have been developed to achieve a variety of functions. The talk describes a range of example materials and devices along with a process based on domestic ironing as a repair mechanism to return the printed conductors to prime condition, enhancing lifetime and durability during extended stress cycles. Flexible filament circuits utilize bare-die components to realise functional circuits that can be integrated with a textile yarn or woven invisibly into an otherwise standard fabric. The circuits utilise a vacuum-forming packaging process that enables circuits to survive up to 50 machine wash cycles.