Peratech leader in electronic clothing research

Richmond-based Peratech’s touch technology, which can be embedded into clothing, is the subject of a three-and-a-half-year PhD research project by London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.

The first generation of this type of technology was used for skiers to connect to a music player, such as an i-pod, using touch technology built into their jacket sleeves.

But now there is an interest in Peratech’s patent-protected Quantum Tunnelling Composites (QTC) technology for a range of applications, from robotics to automotive, and from touch screens to consumer electrical products.

London College of Fashion said that while the PhD will not end with a market-ready product, Peratech will be able to take the research forward to prepare for market release,

“We are very excited to be involved in this project,” said David Lussey, Peratech’s CTO, on the firm’s collaboration with London College of Fashion.

“Our QTC materials have already been used to provide switches in clothing for a number of years and so we know that it can withstand the rigours of being worn and washed.

“This project combines technology, design and user needs to work out how this growing area of wearable technology can be developed.”

The core of QTC technology is that QTC materials change their resistance when a force is applied such as pressure. Printing QTC inks on to textiles enables simple on/off switches to be created but, in addition, because the resistance changes proportionally to the amount of force applied, areas of the cloth can become touch sensitive or can be made to recognise pressure inputs.

“There are already glasses that provide computer displays,” explained Mr Lussey, “but they lack a simple way to input and interact with them.

“With our technology, you could print a keyboard on to a sleeve or on to the back of a glove and link it via Bluetooth to the glasses or even a rectangle of touch sensitive QTC material to act as a touchpad and respond to multi-touch gesture inputs of pinch, stretch, flick, etc which are familiar from smartphones and tablets.”

Apart from being touch sensitive, QTC materials can also detect the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Its printable QTC E-nose sensors work by the QTC material expanding in the presence of VOCs which changes the resistance of the QTC material, giving rapid response and recover times along with a high level of sensitivity. Different formulations can be made according to the specific VOC to be detected so that ‘low cost’ warning sensors and the associated electronics can be printed on to textiles to provide clothing that monitors the wearer for signs of illness, fatigue or exposure to dangerous chemicals.

“Apart from the obvious military applications of remote monitoring of personnel for stress and chemical attack, these sensors could be incorporated into clothing for everyday health monitoring as certain VOCs can be early indicators of health issues,” explained Mr Lussey.

“What is exciting is that the ability to print active and passive components is really taking off so that these combine with our QTC technology so that everything needed to print complete electronic circuits can be done at the same time directly on to flexible substrates such as films, papers and textiles.”

The PhD project is funded by an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council ICASE award.

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