Wireless wearables withstand machine washing

Worldwide, engineers are working toward so-called smart clothes that feature miniaturised electronic circuits and sensors that allow the wearer to communicate with phones, computers, cars and other machines.

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Such smart clothing is expected to make people more productive, provide checks on the wearer’s health status, and even send alerts in the event of an accident. A major drawback to the development of these devices is machine washability.

Now, engineers at Purdue University have developed a new spray/sewing method to transform any conventional cloth items into battery-free wearables that can be machine washed. This technology is published in the May 25 edition of Nano Energy.

"By spray-coating smart clothes with highly hydrophobic molecules, we are able to render them repellent to water, oil and mud," said Ramses Martinez, an assistant professor in Purdue's School of Industrial Engineering. "These smart clothes are almost impossible to stain and can be used underwater and washed in conventional washing machines without damaging the electronic components sewn on their surface."