Taipei Tech joined with more than 450 manufacturers and businesses from twelve countries in the 22^nd Taipei Innovative Textile Application Show this year. Researchers from Taipei Tech presented the “smart textile” embedded with LEDs that can be controlled through a smartphone app.

According to researcher Zhou Ziwei, they were able to embed the LEDs in the textile through a new process, making the fabric softer and more flexible compared to the traditional way of sewing LEDs to the fabric. This also makes it more comfortable to wear the apparel made using this technology.

Through a smartphone app, the wearer can also control what shows through the LEDs on the clothing. This technology has a wide range of applications. One immediate commercial application is to utilize it as a mobile advertising platform.

Another LED-based technology presented at the show was clothing that shows human emotions through LEDs. Designed by the Taiwan Textile Research Institute, this clothing is made of fabric that has embedded sensors designed to read human heartbeat and emotions and shows different colors based on the input through the LEDs. This can be applied in baby care to easily understand the babies’ needs and health conditions.

Also presented at the show was a piece of clothing that functions as a remote control of a robot. Through sensors in the clothing, the wearer’s movements are sent wirelessly to a nearby robot that can mimic the movements. This can be developed into the assisting equipment for rehabilitation, games, manufacturing, firefighting, and other high-risk jobs.

“The smart textiles will definitely bear fruits if it can be integrated into clothing and provides a total solution for potential customers,” said Justin Huang, President of Taiwan Textile Federation.

The smart textile is still in its beginning phase, and challenges like global cooperation, recycling, or other environmental concerns still need to be addressed. However, with the advancement in processing and a wide range of applications, the smart textiles industry is expected to grow.

*This article has been translated from the TVBS NEWS article.