Textile-based sensors that can be used to monitor strain and pressure simultaneously, and can be sewn into the fabric of clothing for athletes are being developed by researchers at Qingdao University in China.Writing in Nano Energy(1), the researchers describe their demonstration of the function of the textile-based sensors by using them to monitor the form and movement of athletes practising taekwondo.To produce the sensors, the researchers first manufacture a core-sheath yarn. The sheath comprises fibres of electrically conductive reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes (CNTs).These fibres are coated with an insulating polyurethane (PU) and then twisted around a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) core to produce a yarn with an electrical resistance that changes predictably in response to being stretched. It also displays good durability, with samples of the yarn retaining 98% of their resistivity after 100 000 strain cycles.
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