via North Carolina State University
Researchers from North Carolina State University have created elastic, touch-sensitive fibers that can interface with electronic devices.
“Touch is a common way to interact with electronics using keyboards and touch screens,” says Michael Dickey, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State and corresponding author of a paper describing the work. “We have created soft and stretchable fibers that can detect touch, as well as strain and twisting. These microscopic fibers may be useful for integrating electronics in new places, including wearable devices.”
The new fibers are made of tube-like polymer strands that contain a liquid metal alloy, eutectic gallium and indium (EGaIn). The strands are only a few hundred microns in diameter, which is slightly thicker than a human hair.
Each fiber consists of three strands. One is completely filled with EGaIn, one is two-thirds filled with EGaIn, and one is only one-third filled with EGaIn. The slim tubes are then twisted together into a tight spiral.
The touch-responsive fiber works because of capacitance, or the phenomenon in which electric charge is stored between two conductors separated by an insulator. For example, when your finger (which is a conductor) touches the screen of your smartphone (which is an insulator), it changes the capacitance between your finger and the electronic material beneath the screen. The smartphone’s technology then interprets that change in capacitance as a command to open an app or to type on the keypad.
Similarly, when your finger touches the elastic fiber, it changes the capacitance between your finger and the EGaIn inside the insulating polymer strands. By moving your finger along the fiber, the capacitance will vary, depending on how many of the strands contain EGaIn at that point in the fiber.
This effectively gives you the ability to send different electronic signals depending on which part of the fiber you touch.

The researchers also developed a sensor using two polymer strands, both of which are completely filled with EGaIn.
Again, the strands are twisted into a tight spiral. Increasing the number of twists elongates the elastic strands and brings the EGaIn in the two tubes closer together. This changes the capacitance between the two strands.
“We can tell how many times the fiber has been twisted based on the change in capacitance,” Dickey says. “That’s valuable for use in torsion sensors, which measure how many times, and how quickly, something revolves. The advantage of our sensor is that it is built from elastic materials and can therefore be twisted 100 times more – two orders of magnitude – than existing torsion sensors.”
Learn more: Touch-Sensitive, Elastic Fibers Offer New Interface for Electronics
[osd_subscribe categories=’touch-sensitive-elastic-fibers’ placeholder=’Email Address’ button_text=’Subscribe Now for any new posts on the topic “TOUCH-SENSITIVE ELASTIC FIBERS’]
The Latest on: Touch-sensitive elastic fibers
via Google News
The Latest on: Touch-sensitive elastic fibers
- 6 Comfortable silk pillowcases for a good night’s sleepon July 28, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Do you know how a good quality silk pillowcase benefits you? You can wake up without the bed-head, no matter how much you move around at night. Silk ...
- The Best Cotton Underwear For Down Thereon July 28, 2022 at 10:16 am
“The external skin around your vagina is like regular skin, but just a little bit more sensitive. So if you have material that irritates your skin normally, you might have minor inflammation to ...
- Summer Fabrics Definitive Guide (Best Breathable Fabric to Keep You Cool)on July 28, 2022 at 2:11 am
Every year like clockwork, summer swiftly swings by and we’re left wondering how it’s already more than half-way through the year. If you’re curious about the types of clothing that will keep you cool ...
- Geriatric Emergencies Part 1: Vulnerability and Primary Preventionon July 27, 2022 at 5:00 pm
The loss of neurons and nerve fibers ... sensitive markers of acute depletion of protein stores. Navigating an icy sidewalk, reacting quickly to a swerving car, and withdrawing immediately from a ...
- The Healthy Maker: Tackling Vapors, Fumes And Heavy Metalson July 26, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Gloves also prevent fine dusts, especially from carbon and glass fiber compounds, from causing skin irritations while sanding of milling. A pair of tough textile gloves will do here. Nevertheless ...
- Best Mattress of 2022: Guide to Buying the Best Mattresson July 25, 2022 at 3:25 am
This limits pressure buildup in sensitive areas while ensuring the ... resistant pocketed coils Mattress base of recycled plant fibers for a durable, eco-friendly structure Sometimes, the best ...
- The Best Moisture-Wicking Underwear for Cyclistson July 23, 2022 at 9:06 am
The quick-dry materials of moisture-wicking underwear helps keep sensitive parts of your body ... and be made of a material or blend of fibers that feel comfortable next to your skin.
- Touch-Sensitive Fibers Eyed for Use in Wearable Deviceson July 21, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Touchscreen-like capability may be coming to wearables thanks to new touch-sensitive elastic fibers developed by researchers at North Carolina State University. A team of scientists at the university ...
- These Stylish Things Have Thousands Of Reviews & Amazon Can Barely Keep Them In Stockon July 14, 2022 at 2:46 pm
It actually has a keyhole at the back that adds a touch of style ... re complete with an elastic drawstring waste. One reviewer wrote: “Was looking for natural fiber drawstring pants with ...
via Bing News