A textile that uses electricity to change colour on command has been demonstrated by a textile designer from Hungary.
The Chromosonic project indicates one future route for designing clothing which harnesses innovations in wearable electronics to enhance the owner's interaction with their environment.
External stimuli
To make Chromosonic, Budapest-based Judit Eszter Karpati, screen-printed thermocrhomatic dyes on to a fabric. The standard fibres were interwoven with thin nichrome wires which are driven by four 24V industrial DC power supplies. When the power supplies are turned on, the wires quickly heat-up and the thermochromatic dyes react to change the colour of the patterned fabric from blue, red or black to white. In a demonstration model, the effect takes only a few seconds to become apparent.
To make Chromosonic, Budapest-based Judit Eszter Karpati, screen-printed thermocrhomatic dyes on to a fabric. The standard fibres were interwoven with thin nichrome wires which are driven by four 24V industrial DC power supplies. When the power supplies are turned on, the wires quickly heat-up and the thermochromatic dyes react to change the colour of the patterned fabric from blue, red or black to white. In a demonstration model, the effect takes only a few seconds to become apparent.
The four power supplies are controlled be an Audrino-programmed microcontroller and a set of 20 circuit boards.
Besides heat, Chromosonic also reacts when pressure is applied to it.
Dancewear
In trials, Karpati has varied the heat flow and hence colour change in the fabric by driving them from computer music files. In the longer term, she sees clothing that reacts to music at a concert or a nightclub as a major potential market for smart clothing made using a future version Chromosonic.
Dancewear
In trials, Karpati has varied the heat flow and hence colour change in the fabric by driving them from computer music files. In the longer term, she sees clothing that reacts to music at a concert or a nightclub as a major potential market for smart clothing made using a future version Chromosonic.
Karpati says: 'My main interest in textile design is the dynamically changing surfaces, structures, and integrating interactive technologies into textiles.'
Beyond novelty
The current sample of Chromosonic, with its multiple power supplies and circuit boards is impractical for converting into a garment. However as proof-of-concept it is interesting as both fashion designers and the military have expressed an interest in producing similar effects.
The current sample of Chromosonic, with its multiple power supplies and circuit boards is impractical for converting into a garment. However as proof-of-concept it is interesting as both fashion designers and the military have expressed an interest in producing similar effects.
The London fashion house CuteCircuit has been pioneering clothing with built-in electronics for several years. This has included a dress with 2000 LEDs which was linked to the social messaging service Twitter and worn by the pop singer Nicole Scherzinger in 2012.
More recently mimicking Kapati's interest CuteCircuit designed a jacket that reacted in response to music and the noise of a Mercedes Benz E63 AMG engine, in a television advertisement for the car firm.
For the military, garments that change colour to directly reflect the environment in which they were placed could evidently be a major step forward in camouflage. Using OLEDs mounted on fabric to do this has been advocated for some time, to create a proto-invisibility cloak.
Weight and see
In the short-term, the weight of batteries and components to power these electronic fabrics makes them prohibitive for garments. As such the technology is much more likely to be used on static fabrics like curtains and carpets or vehicles like tanks or ships - where the extra weight would be less of a challenge or.
In the short-term, the weight of batteries and components to power these electronic fabrics makes them prohibitive for garments. As such the technology is much more likely to be used on static fabrics like curtains and carpets or vehicles like tanks or ships - where the extra weight would be less of a challenge or.
A significant development may come from the increasing range of lightweight on-body charging devices which are being developed to support the surge in interest in wearable electronic devices - though Chromosonic's technology will always require a fair amount of power to drive the nichrome heating wires. If a solution can be produced, smart reactive electronic garments could also have a role in other segments like survival and safety clothing.
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