In this section
Our research centres around the body and how technology can be used to improve how that body exists and interacts with the surrounding environment. We focus on haptic and aural modalities, using textiles as the physical medium for building wearable computational systems. Some of the research projects we undertake focus exclusively on textile sensing and interfaces whilst other focus solely on how auditory displays can be improved for users. A growing area of our work is looking towards how these two complementary technologies can be brought together in novel applications.
Below is a selection of projects grouped by theme of work:
Utilising novel textiles or electronic integrations to track and measure different forms of motion directly through fabric interventions.
Investigating next-generation haptic outputs embedded within textiles, with the unique ability to provide localised bodily sensations and tactile effects currently unavailable from other technologies.
Utilising novel textiles or electronic integrations to track and measure different forms of motion directly through fabric interventions.
Utilising novel textiles or electronic integrations to track and measure different forms of motion directly through fabric interventions.
The most developed strand of research in the group is tracking human motion through textile sensors. SensiKnit was developed by Dr Yi (Joy) Zhou during her PhD. SensiKnit is a graphene-based wearable monitoring system. The ergonomic sensors, crafted with digital knitting and laser-cutting, ensure close skin contact for accurate data collection and allow a full range of motion for user comfort. Integrated into wearables, SensiKnit can monitor body movements, such as knee bends and arm gestures, making it ideal for exercise interfaces and injury rehabilitation. Resistant to UV rays and washing, it offers consistent, real-time activity feedback under any condition.
This work has been published in Advanced intelligent Systems (Zhou, Y., Sun, Y., Li, Y., Shen, C., Lou, Z., Min, X. and Stewart, R. (2024), A Highly Durable and UV-Resistant Graphene-Based Knitted Textile Sensing Sleeve for Human Joint Angle Monitoring and Gesture Differentiation. Adv. Intell. Syst. 2400124. https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202400124).
The video was filmed and produced by Xiannuo Phoenix Zhao (Xcellent Productions Ltd).
@article{Zhou:2022:10.1002/pat.5856,
author = {Zhou, Y and Stewart, R},
doi = {10.1002/pat.5856},
journal = {Polymers for Advanced Technologies},
pages = {4250--4264},
title = {Highly flexible, durable, UV resistant, and electrically conductive graphene based TPU/textile composite sensor},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pat.5856},
volume = {33},
year = {2022}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - Flexible strain sensors have attracted considerable attention due to their applications in wearable monitoring fields such as human-computer interaction systems, athletic training, and health systems. Textiles are a desired substrate for fabricating wearable flexible sensors due to their light weight, comfort, and flexibility. However, the compatibility between textiles and conductive materials still faces critical challenges, especially for wearable sensors to achieve high sensitivity and a wide sensing range simultaneously with long-term monitoring stability, reliability, and wearing comfort. In this study, we propose a graphene-based TPU/textile composite sensor that can be produced using small-scale manufacturing techniques, using laser cutting combined with film coating and thermal transfer processes and further explore its mechanical, electrical, and sensing properties. Since the human body exhibits different magnitudes of motion and fabric sensors integrated into clothing would face multiple challenges in real world usage e.g. repetitive wear, sweat and sunlight exposure, we performed sensitivity, reliability and durability tests to further evaluate real world usage of the fabric sensors. The developed composite sensor exhibits a high sensitivity (GF = 498), wide sensing range (0%–293%), excellent reliability and stability which only shows 5% deviation after 10,000 cycles of stretching under 5% strain. In addition, the graphene-based textile composite sensor thermalised by TPU film can also maintain high stability after long-term UV irradiation and multiple washing cycles. When integrated into various wearable devices, our composite sensor can detect a wide range of human body motions accurately, as well as subtle physiological signals, exhibiting great potential in incorporating into wearable monitoring devices.
AU - Zhou,Y
AU - Stewart,R
DO - 10.1002/pat.5856
EP - 4264
PY - 2022///
SN - 1042-7147
SP - 4250
TI - Highly flexible, durable, UV resistant, and electrically conductive graphene based TPU/textile composite sensor
T2 - Polymers for Advanced Technologies
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pat.5856
UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pat.5856
VL - 33
ER -