E-textiles

IDTechEx have released the latest edition of the most comprehensive report on the e-textiles industry. "E-Textiles 2019-2029: Technologies, Markets and Players" compiles over 6 years of work. There are over 200 companies in the database supporting the report, and IDTechEx analysts have conducted primary research on over 100 companies in order to collate the data and contents for the report itself.

The MedTech Forum 2019 took place on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th May 2019 in Paris, France. It was preceded on Tuesday 14th May 2019 by the fifth annual Start-Up Innovantes du Dispositif Medical event, which enables French MedTech start-ups to showcase their technology. This report was compiled by IDTechEx analysts Ivan De Backer and James Hayward who both attended the events.

The devices could be used for flexible circuits, healthcare monitoring, energy conversion, and other applications.

Integrating sensoric functions into textiles or elastomers is way more difficult than equipping machines because it requires movable or extensible sensors.

Washable, wearable 'batteries': based on cheap, safe and environmentally-friendly inks and woven directly into fabrics, have been developed.

The potential for wearable electronics goes far beyond smart watches, but our current options for battery packs and circuit boards don't make for the most comfortable E-socks. One solution, being developed is to simply print flexible fibers on to transitional textiles or clothes.

A research cooperation has developed a process suitable for 3D printing that can be used to produce transparent and mechanically flexible electronic circuits.

The LOOMIA H1 jacket is a heated jacket for changing climates and temperatures.

A team of researchers have developed a method to produce scalable graphene-based yarn. Multi-functional wearable e-textiles have been a focus of much attention due to their great potential for healthcare, sportswear, fitness and aerospace applications. Graphene has been considered a potentially good material for these types of applications due to its high conductivity, and flexibility.