New century technology added to last century techniques should not only put a full stop to the industry's decline it could well lead a resurgence in manufacture and deliver new products for an ever widening audience and provide unique solutions for a wide variety of needs long neglected and denied textile-based solutions. Through the global patents for sensory fabrics Intelligent Textiles Ltd. (Dr Stan Swallow and Asha Peta Thompson) have developed, we collide the worlds of science and art, masculinity and femininity, and we are taking natural and synthetic fibres into new product verticals where even textiles have not been a feature before. For example Intelligent Textiles is a technology which replaces electrical switches and sensors with textile devices. This paper describes the technology, including a second-generation technology named Detect which compromises few, if any, of the valuable properties of a textile. It also examines how a number of application sectors might benefit from using the technology. These benefits can be both economic and in terms of additional value and product differentiation and increase quality of life issues. Intelligent Textiles can counter the sterility and unsympathetic nature of traditionally packaged " high technology" by replacing small, cold, hard, heavy and smooth interfaces with large area, warm, soft, lightweight and tactile ones. We can, too, increase the appeal of traditional products by adding functionality and desirability in an invisible and unobtrusive way through creative additions to a fabric in the mill, at an early stage of the manufacturing process.
展开▼
