Smart Embroidery for Health

By sewing, weaving or knitting with metal-containing yarns and threads, not only can we embed electrical components like LED lights into fabric; we can also invent whole new electrical components. For example, the electrical resistance of certain types of conductive thread can change depending on how much they are stretched. With a careful choice of thread and pattern, we can embroider stretch sensors, that can be used to electrically measure distance and shape.

With help from engineers from Sussex University, Textile Design services company E-Textiles Ltd will use this award to manufacture a series of smart textile wraps that can capture the shape of torso, using a network of embroidered stretch sensors, sewn into an elastic base. This will allow their customer, John Florence Ltd, an NHS Orthotics Services provider, to take the pre-clinical product into user testing and accreditation.

As well as allowing body shapes to be captured without plaster casting, in readiness for 3D printing of orthotics and prostheses, smart textile measurement systems will enable at-a-distance orthotics supply in the UK and beyond. The award will also enable E-Textiles Ltd to expand their business into sport, fashion and assistive applications via Innovate UK Business Growth and Business Connect.