Tackling current Mega Trends
This year’s Techtextil was again a successful presentation of the textile industry’s performance. It is the central hub for many impulses and innovations within technical and smart textiles. Manufacturers of textile fabrics showed the current state of technology, and research and development institutes revealed fascinating future possibilities.
New applications for the future
Long-term ECG monitoring with chest strap from Empa. Image Copyright by empapictures.
There seem to be no limits for new applications, which was clearly demonstrated by the conferment of the Techtextil Innovation Awards for innovative Ideas and future-oriented developments in the field of technical textiles, nonwovens and functional apparel textiles.
Among the eight winners of the 2015 Techtextil Innovation Award are embroidered electrodes with a silver/titanium coating for long-term ECG monitoring (see at Empa or the video on YouTube in German), washable digital canvases, biological alternatives to artificial snow, a technical fabric acting as an artificial uterus for premature babies, woven node elements for lightweight applications in the automotive industry and mechanical engineering, maritime textiles for sustainable biomass production and highly productive manufacturing of preforms for textile-reinforced lightweight designs.
Smart textiles and interdisciplinary cooperation
Once the 4.0 industry becomes more incorporated in textile applications, in addition to the technical textiles, countless smart textiles will significantly affect our lives.
Smart textiles will find their use in various areas, including health monitoring on people, recording of biometric data for sports training, protection of workers who handle dangerous substances, fatigue detection for pilots and drivers, and the restoration of sensory perception that was lost through an accident or birth defect.
Harvard University is developing the next generation of wearable ‘soft exosuits’ which are made from textiles that can be worn under clothing. This can reduce physical strain and alleviate physical disabilities.
The key role of textile technology
Textile technology will play a key role in tackling the current mega trends. Already today, the global change is deeply affecting our aspects of life. We have the opportunity to master these challenges with innovation and intelligent textile products.
But in order for this development to be implemented successfully, interdisciplinary cooperations must be launched. The expertise of various individual sciences must be imported to the respective projects; a parallel existence is not sufficient for a successful implementation. These new products are characterised as downright high-tech products.