Page 411 - Mechatronics for Safety, Security and Dependability in a New Era

Ch80-I044963.fm Page 395 Tuesday, August 1, 2006 4:54 PM
Tuesday, August
1, 2006
4:54 PM
Page 395
Ch80-I044963.fm
395
395
CONDUCTIVE FIBRES IN SMART CLOTHING
APPLICATIONS
Jaana Hannikainen, Tiina Jarvinen, Timo Vuorela, Katja Vahakuopus,
and Jukka Vanhala

Institute of Electronics, Tampere University of Technology
Korkeakoulunkatu 3, FIN-33720 Tampere, Finland

ABSTRACT

The use of electrically conductive fibre yams in smart clothing applications as a communication or
power transfer medium and electrode materials have been researched. Challenges in usage have been
culminated in positive and durable contacts. Therefore, accelerated reliability tests and tensile strength
tests have been made to find out proper materials and connection methods for reliable joints. Results
show that reliable connections can be made by using appropriate conductive yarns and solder.
However, the fibre usage in clothing is very demanding and field tests have to be developed to find out
yarns' braking mechanisms and long-term durability in different usage situations.

KEYWORDS
Smart clothing, electrically conductive fibre, connection, accelerated reliability test, wearing comfort

INTRODUCTION

The amount of different electrical devices that are carried also during daily routines increases
continuously. Mobile phones and personal digital assistants have got competitors e.g. as forms of heart
rate monitors, pace counters, wrist-worn computers, and mobile positioning devices. One of the
empowering factors of this trend has been rapid development of electronics, especially in the areas of
miniaturization techniques, low-power electronics, telecommunication techniques, and battery
technology. These key technologies have also provided possibilities to construct application specific
wearable systems i.e. smart clothes. This term encompasses combinations of intelligent textile
materials, and electronic and non-electrical devices integrated in ordinary clothing (Rantanen at al
2002). Systems become truly smart when they can sense their environment and act according to the
measured stimuli.

Although, we can already implement very compact and good looking smart clothes, we still need to
make many compromises. It is difficult to construct small, clothing-like, and lightweight devices,
which are also cheap and robust. As users wear these clothes, specific attention has to be paid to