Nanocomposite coatings turn fabrics into pressure sensors

Engineers are developing smart textiles by integrating flexible nanocomposite coatings on natural and synthetic fibres, an advance that could turn shoes and clothes into pressure sensors.

The team at the University of Delaware is said to have demonstrated the ability to measure pressure ranging from the light touch of a fingertip to being driven over by a forklift truck. Their work is reported in ACS Sensors.

Fabric coated with this sensing technology could be used in future "smart garments" where the sensors are inserted into the soles of shoes or stitched into clothing for detecting human motion.

"As a sensor, it's very sensitive to forces ranging from touch to tons," said Erik Thostenson, an associate professor in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering.