Electrical Textiles for Intelligent Applications - Bingang Xu

This book highlights a timely and comprehensive summary of latest advances in research and development in electrical textiles, focusing on material and structure design, methodologies, as well as intelligent applications such as energy harvesting, energy storage, electrochromic, electrodeformation, sensing. The integration of diverse functionalities is underscored to highlight a prevailing trend in electrical textiles. Current challenges are presented to illuminate potential directions. This book is instrumental for students, scholars, and researchers to develop a thorough understanding for this field, and will inspire their future research as well.

The journey of textiles reflects the progress of human society, from our ancestors’ basic use of leaves to the intricate weaving of materials like silk and cotton, which offered greater warmth and comfort. The introduction of synthetic fibers such as nylon and Kevlar marked a major advancement in textile technology, significantly enhancing our lives over the last century. Recently, technological advancements have drastically reduced the size of electronics, making them more portable. In 2021, there were 12.2 billion portable devices globally, a number expected to exceed 25 billion by 2025. The swift progress in electronics and the internet has created new demands for textiles, requiring them to offer more than just warmth. For example, integrating self-powering features into textiles could transform electronics by allowing clothing to convert mechanical and solar energy into electricity. This could make powering portable devices like phones more efficient and convenient. Additionally, embedding electronics in textiles could improve energy use in applications like displays and sensors. As electricity plays a vital role in modern life, developing electrical textiles is essential and full of practical potential. This emerging field has attracted considerable interest, leading to significant advancements recently. Electrical textiles can be divided into several important categories.