I-Corps: Translation Potential of Textile Supercapacitors

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is based on the development of textile-based, wearable electronic devices using wool yarn for use in the healthcare, military, and consumer industry sectors. Incorporating textiles into existing electronic systems will facilitate health monitoring, communication, and environmental monitoring beyond what is feasible with current technology.

Existing wearable devices face design limitations due to size constraints, as users prefer compact devices, which reduces functionality. Wool, being sustainably produced, biodegradable, anti-microbial, and recyclable, provides an eco-friendly foundation for electronic devices manufacturing. Integrating electronics and conductive textiles will create advanced wearable devices that can be seamlessly integrated with existing clothing, offering greater functionality with fewer restrictions.

Ultimately, this technology aims to create more sustainable electronic devices by combining the natural benefits of wool with advanced fiber technology.

This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the proposed technology. The solution is based on the development of conductive wool yarn that can be knit into circuit components and seamlessly integrated into clothing for an enhanced human-computer interface.

The wool yarn is coated with conductive materials and knitted into circuit components using a knitting machine before the devices are tested to determine performance. By enabling continuous, wireless monitoring in healthcare, such as of patient vital signs, this project represents an advance in creating sustainable, real-time, and portable medical devices.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.