Innovative magnetizable fiber: Tactile feedback in VR and robotic hands

Smart Textiles When the Material Becomes a Robotic Gripper

2025-11-18 Source: Press release Press text | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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A magnetizable fiber developed by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, made from plastic and iron, can now be woven into a fabric that, among other things, is designed to provide a realistic sense of touch in gloves. The yarn reacts to magnetic fields.

A new fabric that can be moved by magnetic force: Here is the flexible fabric in plain weave.(Image: Hong Kong Polytechnic University) — A new fabric that can be moved by magnetic force: Here is the flexible fabric in plain weave.
(Image: Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a method for weaving flexible fibers that are controlled by magnetic fields. These can not only be used for robotic hands, allowing them to pick up fruits, potato chips, and worms without crushing them, but also for a range of other applications. These include gloves that provide a realistic sense of touch in virtual reality. They can bend as needed, stiffen, or change their surface texture.

Magnetic Fields Move Fabric

The team mixed tiny particles of high-purity iron (carbonyl iron) with thin, flexible fibers made from the polymer LDPE. This creates an extremely thin thread that is both flexible and magnetizable. The experts achieved this using the so-called melt spinning process. The starting material is liquefied by heating and pressed through fine nozzles. After cooling, a magnetizable fiber is formed, measuring just 0.002 inches in thickness. From seven of these fibers, the scientists created a yarn by twisting them together, which they then wove into a fabric.

This type of yarn reacts to changing external magnetic fields—not simply through basic movement, but according to the specific task at hand, enabling more complex motions. "This ushers in a new era in the field of smart textiles," says textile engineer Junhong Pu.

Velvet Fabric is Suitable As A Robotic Gripper

The soft and adaptable MR fabric with cut pile.(Image: Hong Kong Polytechnic University) — The soft and adaptable MR fabric with cut pile.
(Image: Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

The team has created two types of fabrics from the yarn: a regular woven fabric that bends or stretches in response to a magnetic field, and a pile-like material resembling a soft brush. In the woven fabric, pores can be opened through magnetic forces, making it suitable for breathable garments.

From the velour fabric, the engineers constructed a soft robotic gripper. Thousands of its magnetic fibers stiffen to grasp an object and gently enclose it. Additionally, the researchers created a haptic virtual reality glove. When the user grasps a virtual object, a remotely controlled magnetic field stiffens the fibers or presses them against the skin to simulate real tactile sensations.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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