Anthony Locicero, Associate Editor10.10.17
E-textiles generate roughly $100 million in annual wholesale revenue – and that number could reach $5 billion by 2027 based on current growth and investment, VCE Solutions President Vince Cahill, , said, citing IDTechEx, during the opening presentation of the Printed Electronics Symposium.
Those projections were "conservative," however, Cahill noted during "Developments in Technologies and Products for E-Textile Applications."
Despite the forecast, Cahill said there are still hurdles, including:
Academic and industrial developments for e-textiles can help industry growth.
"Research and product development are overcoming the hurdles to adoption and introducing products," said Cahill, who created the print consulting business, VCE Solutions, in 1995.
The Drexel Nanotech Institution and Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab teamed up to create a textile supercapacitor electrode made with activated carbon embedded in shirt. WiFi is being converted to energy – conductive antennas are knitted on a standard device and the knit conductive yarn antennas harvest energy at 2.4 GHz. The antenna absorbs the signal and after conversion can power other devices.
"One fiber across a shirt can essentially light an LED," said Cahill. "[It's] woven or knitted into fabric and can charge a phone."
Two years ago, the University of Texas at Dallas created conducting fibers that can be reversibly stretched 14 times their length.
Other universities – Stanford, Delaware, Cornell, Georgia Tech, Penn State, and more – are working to develop textile energy as well.
The key markets for e-textiles:
The kit allows users to sew basic circuits to light up LEDs, control them with buttons and switches, and play with a pre-programmed LilyMinicircuit that reacts to ambient light levels.
Cahill said these kits could be used to introduce children and teens to the world of wearable e-textiles.
“They will be the folks who are going to create the next generations of e-textiles," he said.
Pictured: Vince Cahill
Those projections were "conservative," however, Cahill noted during "Developments in Technologies and Products for E-Textile Applications."
Despite the forecast, Cahill said there are still hurdles, including:
- Interdisciplinary cooperation between electronics, textile and product developers and users;
- Current low volume, niche-based demand;
- University and inventor E-Textiles patent barriers;
- Need for reliable and easy to use process to integrate electronics and fabric for making apparel;
- Lack of E-Textiles manufacturing skills and capacity;
- E-Textiles wash ability, wear and tear
Academic and industrial developments for e-textiles can help industry growth.
"Research and product development are overcoming the hurdles to adoption and introducing products," said Cahill, who created the print consulting business, VCE Solutions, in 1995.
The Drexel Nanotech Institution and Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab teamed up to create a textile supercapacitor electrode made with activated carbon embedded in shirt. WiFi is being converted to energy – conductive antennas are knitted on a standard device and the knit conductive yarn antennas harvest energy at 2.4 GHz. The antenna absorbs the signal and after conversion can power other devices.
"One fiber across a shirt can essentially light an LED," said Cahill. "[It's] woven or knitted into fabric and can charge a phone."
Two years ago, the University of Texas at Dallas created conducting fibers that can be reversibly stretched 14 times their length.
Other universities – Stanford, Delaware, Cornell, Georgia Tech, Penn State, and more – are working to develop textile energy as well.
"E-Textiles are part of the digital revolution," said Cahill, who began tracking digital print developments in 1980 after being introduced to digital carpet printing at a textile design conference at the Manhattan's Fashion Institute of Technology. "They offer the ability to sense our environment and ourselves; communicate; exchange data; generate electricity to charge smart phones; etc."
The key markets for e-textiles:
- Sports, fitness and wellness;
- Healthcare and medical;
- Military, police and first responders;
- Automotive and aerospace;
- Industrial and commercial;
- Home and lifestyle;
- Fashion
"Functional applications including athletic, patient, first responder, and military monitoring of environment and vital signs – for example: smart shirts that store and transmit date – are likely to grow," Cahill said, adding that there is limited growth for fashion.
That could change after Sparkfun and Dr. Leah Buechley developed Lily Pad E-Textiles kit, which can be used to create an illuminated mask, glow pin, night-light pennant and light up plush.
That could change after Sparkfun and Dr. Leah Buechley developed Lily Pad E-Textiles kit, which can be used to create an illuminated mask, glow pin, night-light pennant and light up plush.
The kit allows users to sew basic circuits to light up LEDs, control them with buttons and switches, and play with a pre-programmed LilyMinicircuit that reacts to ambient light levels.
Cahill said these kits could be used to introduce children and teens to the world of wearable e-textiles.
“They will be the folks who are going to create the next generations of e-textiles," he said.
Pictured: Vince Cahill