Researchers Have Developed Technology Needed for Self-healing Smart Clothes

Researches have developed a way for smart clothing and other wearables to self-heal — potentially paving the way for a generation of wearable clothing. While today’s wearable market is inundated with various wrist-mounted watches and bands, the future of wearables could be smart t-shirts and other textile-based clothing. But there’s a problem with smart clothing that might be snarling its viability: the sensitive “ink” electronic components can break fairly easily — even stretching them the wrong way can damage them.

But a group of researchers from the Jacobs School of Engineering have created a self-healing magnetic ink that can repair itself automatically — it can even heal multiple cuts in milliseconds. The self-healing magnetic ink could be used in a variety of smart clothing components, such as batteries, electrochemical sensors, and circuitry, according to Engadget.

The researcher’s magnetic ink relies on a pretty simple concept. The team used crushed up neodymium magnets — similar to the type used in motors and hard drives — and inserted the microscopic particles into the e-ink used to make printed electronic components. Carbon powder is added to increase the ink’s conductivity, and is then put through a magnetic field. The result is aligned particles that are attracted to each other, allowing them to heal cuts and other damage very quickly.

The magnetic ink can heal multiple breaches up to 3 mm wide — a new record in self-healing systems. It’s also fairly durable, and can work in a variety of climates and conditions. Of course, the magnetic ink isn’t infallible — if the ink is cut, it no longer is bonded, which could cause problems under heavy loads. But despite its flaw, the team is planning on developing new versions of the magnetic e-ink.

“Our work holds considerable promise for widespread practical applications for long-lasting printed electronics,” Joseph Wang, the study’s lead author, said. The researchers published their findings in Science Advances.

And their invention might come just in time, according to Digital Trends. Popular tech and clothing companies ranging from Samsung and Google to Under Armour and Ralph Lauren have been looking into ways of creating smart clothing. So the future of wearables might look more like a t-shirt than a smartwatch.