I was just leisurely surfing the web, when I found this article very interesting. Basically, it is all about the new uses of cotton. Researchers at the Cornell University announce the development of a new type of cotton fiber, which has the ability to conduct electricity just as well as metal wires can. The thing about this innovation is that the textile fabrics remain light and soft to the touch, which means that they can be worn inside regular T-shirts and other pieces of clothing, the team behind the achievement says. Possible uses for the new technology involve creating smart clothes that can monitor heart and breathing rates, and also charge mobile devices such as gaming consoles, cell phones and so on.
The basis of the modern cotton fibers is coating them with nanoparticles. Researchers at Cornell collaborated closely with Italian colleagues from the universities at Bologna and Cagliari for this job, and they managed to succeed where other research groups failed. The fact that the nanoparticles are conductive allows for electrical connections to be made inside the fabric by simply tying two of the threads together. The technology works so well that Abbey Liebman, one of Hinestroza’s students, managed to design a dress featuring the cotton fibers, small photovoltaic cells, and a USB dock for charging cell phones and mp3 players. The dress will be featured at the exhibition.
I guess I will be looking forward to this innovation in the market.
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