Battery‐Free, Human‐Motion‐Powered Light‐Emitting Fabric: Mechanoluminescent Textile

Much effort is being directed at developing wearable devices because they offer the potential combination of real‐time personal communication and convenient portability. In this sense, communicative textiles that can sense and respond to changes in their environment, that is, smart textiles, are att...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Advanced sustainable systems (Online) 2017-12, Vol.1 (12), p.n/a
Main Authors: Jeong, Soon Moon, Song, Seongkyu, Seo, Hye‐Jin, Choi, Won Mi, Hwang, Sung‐Ho, Lee, Se Geun, Lim, Sang Kyoo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
environmentally friendly light
human motion‐powered light
light‐emitting textile
mechanoluminescence
smart fabric
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Summary:Much effort is being directed at developing wearable devices because they offer the potential combination of real‐time personal communication and convenient portability. In this sense, communicative textiles that can sense and respond to changes in their environment, that is, smart textiles, are attracting attention because they are easy to integrate into the human body. In particular, light‐emitting textiles are preferred for high‐visibility outfits for personal safety and attractive signaling that enable mutual recognition or new forms of communication. However, most light‐emitting textiles, including weavable optical fibers and fiber‐shaped electroluminescent devices, require electric power supply. This paper presents a mechanoluminescent fiber that is capable of emitting light and can potentially be powered just by human motions, such as body movement and muscle stretching, instead of a battery. This is achieved by utilizing a robust mechanoluminescent (ML) fiber developed by improving the binding of mechanoluminescent ZnS‐embedded‐polydimethylsiloxane with a primer‐treated cross‐shaped fiber frame and employing an adhesive layer. A novel ML fabric, created by weaving ML fibers, is also presented, which is applicable to wearable light‐emitting fabrics. Battery‐free, human motion‐powered ML fiber is expected to make environmentally friendly and sustainable light, and further paves the way for new wearable devices that reduce energy waste. The fabrication of a robust mechanoluminescent (ML) fiber capable of emitting light that can potentially be driven by human motion instead of a battery is presented. A robust ML fiber is achieved by three‐dimensionally surrounded ML materials with improved contact methods. A novel ML fabric is also introduced that paves the way to new approaches for sustainable wearable devices.
ISSN:2366-7486
2366-7486
DOI:10.1002/adsu.201700126