Innovation in fashion: Washable electronic textiles developed

Smartly dressed Control e-textiles with just a finger movement

2025-03-06 Source: Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

It is said that so-called electronic textiles are popular, but combining fabric and electronics has not been so easy until now. That has apparently changed...

Premiere! Magnetoresistive sensors in textiles offer significant advantages compared to capacitive sensors. This turns garments into robust human-computer interfaces. Learn more here...(Image: Freie Universität Bozen) — Premiere! Magnetoresistive sensors in textiles offer significant advantages compared to capacitive sensors. This turns garments into robust human-computer interfaces. Learn more here...
(Image: Freie Universität Bozen)

A team from Nottingham Trent University, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR, Germany), and the Free University of Bozen (Italy) have developed washable and durable electronic textiles with magnetic field sensors, which could enable their use in functional clothing, as emphasized. The researchers demonstrated how to embed tiny, flexible, and highly sensitive magnetoresistive sensors in braided yarns that are compatible with conventional textile manufacturing. Such garments could be used in various applications with the help of a ring or glove with an integrated miniature magnet. The sensors are seamlessly integrated into the textile, while the position of the sensors can be indicated by colored areas or embroidery. Thus, they can function as contactless control elements, it continues.

Wearable human-computer interface

The technology, which could even lead to textile-based keyboards, could be integrated into clothing and other textiles. It also works underwater, in various weather conditions, and withstands the washing process. The researchers call the key result the fact that magnetoresistive sensors, unlike usual capacitive sensors, cannot be activated accidentally. If these sensors were embedded in everyday clothing, people could interact with computers, smartphones, watches, and other connected devices, turning their clothing into a wearable human-computer interface. The whole system could be used in areas such as temperature or safety controls for specialized clothing, in games, or interactive fashion. For example, users could control LEDs or other lighting elements embedded in the textiles with simple gestures. Functional armbands (image) could also enable navigation in a virtual environment (VR). For the first time, washable magnetic sensors could be integrated into textiles as discreetly as never before.

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

Business E-mail

Please enter a valid mailadress.

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. The consent declaration relates, among other things, to the sending of editorial newsletters by email and to data matching for marketing purposes with selected advertising partners (e.g., LinkedIn, Google, Meta)

Date: 08.12.2025

Naturally, we always handle your personal data responsibly. Any personal data we receive from you is processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. For detailed information please see our privacy policy.

Consent to the use of data for promotional purposes

I hereby consent to Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG, Max-Planck-Str. 7-9, 97082 Würzburg including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG (hereafter: Vogel Communications Group) using my e-mail address to send editorial newsletters. A list of all affiliated companies can be found here

Newsletter content may include all products and services of any companies mentioned above, including for example specialist journals and books, events and fairs as well as event-related products and services, print and digital media offers and services such as additional (editorial) newsletters, raffles, lead campaigns, market research both online and offline, specialist webportals and e-learning offers. In case my personal telephone number has also been collected, it may be used for offers of aforementioned products, for services of the companies mentioned above, and market research purposes.

Additionally, my consent also includes the processing of my email address and telephone number for data matching for marketing purposes with select advertising partners such as LinkedIn, Google, and Meta. For this, Vogel Communications Group may transmit said data in hashed form to the advertising partners who then use said data to determine whether I am also a member of the mentioned advertising partner portals. Vogel Communications Group uses this feature for the purposes of re-targeting (up-selling, cross-selling, and customer loyalty), generating so-called look-alike audiences for acquisition of new customers, and as basis for exclusion for on-going advertising campaigns. Further information can be found in section “data matching for marketing purposes”.

In case I access protected data on Internet portals of Vogel Communications Group including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG, I need to provide further data in order to register for the access to such content. In return for this free access to editorial content, my data may be used in accordance with this consent for the purposes stated here. This does not apply to data matching for marketing purposes.

Right of revocation

I understand that I can revoke my consent at will. My revocation does not change the lawfulness of data processing that was conducted based on my consent leading up to my revocation. One option to declare my revocation is to use the contact form found at https://contact.vogel.de. In case I no longer wish to receive certain newsletters, I have subscribed to, I can also click on the unsubscribe link included at the end of a newsletter. Further information regarding my right of revocation and the implementation of it as well as the consequences of my revocation can be found in the data protection declaration, section editorial newsletter.