LG, a well-known multinational electronics company based in South Korea, is working on a new type of textile that can sense pressure across its whole surface, with its manufacturing partner, Innotek’s cutting edge materials, to be implemented in clothing and accessories for use in medical, health and even automotive industries.
LG Innotek envisions on weaving electronics into fabric with a focus on sensing pressure. Most devices today used for the same motive are solid and unbendable, which limit their usage to equally solid and stiff objects. In a stark contrast, the material LG has used is made from a special polyurethane material that lends itself well to being deformed.
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The pressure sensitivity incorporated in the woven material isn’t simply limited to one area but is spread across the entire surface, turning the whole material into one large, or small, sensor. With the incorporation of the textile pressure sensor, LG states its possible applications in healthcare sector with pressure sensitive carpets that can detect body balance; sports with gloves that can determine the players grip and in automotive with seat covers that can detect the passenger’s posture and body type and adjust accordingly.
