Flexible-stretchable woven electronic textile system : a tailored multi-modal bodysuit for spatiotemporal physiological and physical activity monitoring

Abstract

The rapid advance of electronic devices and fabrication technologies have further promoted the field of wearables and smart textiles. Several challenges remain, as most of the current efforts in textile electronics focus on 'niche' applications and lack of sensing modalities, as well as large-scale coverage. We introduce a new platform of flexible-stretchable distributed sensor networks that can be embedded into a digitally-knit textile. It can be customized for various forms and functions using standard, accessible, and low-cost manufacturing approach. Rigorous experimental and theoretical investigations of each sensor modality, the robustness of sensor-interconnects system, washability, breathability, and sensor-to-skin contact pressure define the critical features of this novel electronic textile platform. The realization of a tailored, intelligent bodysuit that simultaneously and wirelessly monitors multi-nodal temperature, heart rate, and respiration, as well as physical activity demonstrates its vision for multi-functional, seamless health and activity monitoring, with potential implications in clinical medicine, healthcare, rehabilitation, and sports science.