Textiles of today are materials with applications in almost all our activities. We wear clothes all the time and we are surrounded with textiles in almost all our environments. The integration of multifunctional values in such a common material has become a special area of interest in recent years. Smart Textile represents the next generation of textiles anticipated for use in several fashion, furnishing and technical textile applications. The term smart is used to refer to materials that sense and respond in a pre-defined manner to environmental stimuli. The degree of smartness varies and it is possible to enhance the intelligence further by combining these materials with a controlling unit, for example a microprocessor. As an interdisciplinary area Smart Textile includes design spaces from several areas; the textile design space, the information technology design space and the design space of material science. This thesis addresses how Smart Textiles affect the textile design space; how the introduction of smart materials and information technology affects the creation of future textile products. The aim is to explore the convergence between textiles, smart materials and information technology and to contribute to providing a basis for future research in this area. The research method is based on a series of interlinked experiments designed through the research questions and the research objects. The experiments are separated into two different sections: interactive textile structures and health monitoring. The result is a series of basic methods for how interactive textile structures are created and a general system for health monitoring. Furthermore the result consists of a new design space, advanced textile design. In advanced textile design the focus is set on the relation between the different natures of a textile object: its physical structure and its structure in the context of design and use.

The increasing demand for energy in combination with a greater awareness for our environmental impact have encouraged the development of sustainable energy sources, including materials for energy storage. Latent heat thermal energy storage by the use of phase change material (PCM) have become an area of great interest. It is a reliable and efficient way to reduce energy consumption. PCMs store and release latent heat, which means that the material can absorb the excess of heat energy, save it and release it when needed. By introducing soy wax as a biobased PCM and apply it on textile, one can achieve a thermoregulation material to be used in buildings and smart textiles. By replacing the present most used PCM, paraffin, with soy wax one cannot only decrease the use of fossil fuel, but also achieve a less flammable material. The performance of soy wax PCM applied on a textile fabric have not yet been investigated but can be a step towards a more sustainable energy consumption. The soy wax may also broaden the application for PCM due to its low flammability. The aim is to develop an environmental friendly latent heat thermal energy storage material to be used within numerous application fields.

Hållbart mode ansågs länge tråkigt och komplicerat, i rak motsats till modeveckornas flärd. Numera har begreppet blivit moderiktigt och spelar en central roll i det paradigmskifte modevärlden står inför tack vare ny teknik och digitala plattformer. I en reportageserie har jag undersökt modeindustrins hållbarhet ur tre olika perspektiv; produktion, design och framtidsspaning. Vad är innebär begreppet hållbart mode? Hur ser industrin ut i dagsläget? Vad kan en på individnivå göra? Och hur ser framtidens mode ut? Genom att förankra resonemang och frågeställningar i tidigare forskning och litteratur har jag djupgående granskat ämnet för att kunna besvara frågan om en industri som bygger på konsumtion och en växelverkan av trender kan bli hållbar? Eller är hållbart mode en paradox.  Reportageserien genomfördes i New Delhi, Stockholm och Borås i form av kvalitativa intervjuer med experter och ett wallraffande. I reflektionsrapporten förankras det journalistiska arbetet i etiska diskussioner kring journalistisk metod, genre, etnocentrism och källkritik. Syftet med studien var att lyfta fram hållbarhetsproblematiken och ge en mångfacetterad och realistisk bild över modeindustrins hållbarhetsutveckling, både på materiell- och humanitär nivå.

With the technological progress of materials science, the palette of colours with which to print on textiles has expanded beyond those with previously known properties and expressions to a new generation, with more advanced functionality and expressive properties. This new range of colours is characterised by their ability when printed on textiles to change colour in relation to external factors and internal programmes; for example, leuco dye-based thermochromic inks generally change colour in response to temperature fluctuations. This research explores the design properties and potentials of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks printed on textiles, with regard to creating a wider range of colour-changing effects for textile applications. The significance of this for textile design is related to the development of a methodology for designing dynamic surface patterns. The research was conducted by creating a series of design experiments using leuco dye-based thermochromic inks, which resulted in different recipes and methods, along with a pedagogical tool. The results highlighted the diverse colour-changing properties of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks, which have the potential to create more complex patterns on textiles. The outcome of this research proposes a foundation for textile designers with which to approach new ways of thinking and designing.

Smart textiles especially Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are getting attention because these materials can provide regulation of wearer’s body climate and provide comfort in the temperature fluctuations during the physical activity like sports. These materials have the advantage of latent heat energy storage that can absorb and release high amount of energy over a narrow temperature range around the human’s body temperature to provide thermal comfort. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) absorb energy during the heating process as phase change takes place and release energy to the surroundings during the reverse cooling process. The types of phase change materials that are suitable for sports applications are hydrated inorganic salts, linear long chain hydrocarbons, Poly Ethylene Glycol (PEG). The concept of thermal comfort and working of PCMs in the textiles garments are important for determining the functionality of PCMs. Phase Change materials are micro capsulated in the shells by “Situ polymerization technique before application to sportswear and garments. The PCMs microcapsules are incorporated in the sportswear and garments by fiber technology, lamination, foaming and coating. The testing of clothing containing micro capsulated PCMs is discussed after the incorporation of PCMs in textiles. Quality parameters that are key for getting good results are mentioned i.e. particle size, thermal conductivity, fire hazard treatment, durability and performance of micro capsulated PCMs and clothing. In the last section findings, suggestions and conclusion are discussed. / Program: Magisterutbildning i Applied Textile Management

This is a textile design project aim to make acommunication stage with smart colors (Thermo-­‐chromic leuco-­‐dyes and photo-­‐luminescent colors). Allthrough a research question has been designed. Theobjects, colors, and materials have been chosen basedon the inspirations from the stimuli. Afterwardexperimental method has been employed to reflect thetheory of the project, which was the notion of death andlife. Subsequently the design process has been startedby conception of combining textile and informationtechnology in order to make a design prototype sopeople can interact with the prototype and reactionscould be observed and sensed by human. Thiscommunication stage has its own specifications andcharacteristics that people can have their ownunderstanding of it while using it. / Program: Master Programme in Fashion and Textile Design

In recent years, due to the combination of technological advances in the fields ofmeasurement instrumentation, communications, home-health care and textile-technology thedevelopment of medical devices has shifted towards applications of personal healthcare.There are well known the available solutions for heart rate monitoring successfully providedby Polar and Numetrex. Furthermore new monitoring applications are also investigated. Amongthese non-invasive monitoring applications, it is possible to find several ones enable bymeasurements of Electrical Bioimpedance.Analog Devices has developed the AD5933 Impedance Network Analyzer which facilitatesto a large extent the design and implementation of Electrical Bioimpedance Spectrometers in amuch reduced space. Such small size allows the development of a fully wearable bioimpedancemeasurement.With the development of a Electrical Bioimpedance-enable wearable medical device in focusfor personal healthcare monitoring, in this project, the issue of power management has beentargeted and a battery-driven Electrical Bioimpedance Spectrometer based in the AD5933 hasbeen implemented. The resulting system has the possibility to operate with a Li-Po battery with apower autonomy over 17 hours.

It is the possibilities to create dynamic textile patterns in Smart Textiles that isin focus in this report. The result will be presented in form of different materialand pattern samples. The samples show both different technical solutions andinteractions needed to develop a dynamic textile pattern.My intention with this work is to enlarge the use of a decoration, as somethingmore than a static extra value. We do have a need for beautiful things in oursurrounding and I want to explore how dynamic patterns could give decorationan extended use. Where new kinds of values can be included, interaction and theinformation. The result can be applied in further research concerning bothwearables, fashion, soft furnishing as well as for public environment forcommunications. / <p>Program: Designteknikerutbildningen</p><p>Uppsatsnivå: D</p>

New textile materials are constantly being brought into the automotive field, and automobile design is a leader in innovative and spectacular developments where smart textile materials are used. The main elements of the current project are textile material research, automotive research, design and development of two upholstery concepts for automotives using smart textiles. The added values are RFI/EMI (Radio Frequency Interference / Electro Magnetic Interference) shielding qualities, light emitting, light reflective and antistatic qualities. Values in the smart-textile area are obtained through choice of material and textile techniques. Transportation textiles are considered high performance technical fabrics, but they must also meet the aesthetic demands of the market. In the current project the design is inspired by Japanese architectural thinking and strives to relate to outdoor environment to reduce the border between indoor and outdoor environment. The inspiration source is water surfaces. The colour setting is also inspired by water surfaces. Material selection is based on the chosen added values, material qualities, appearance and availability. The result of the work is two different upholstery concepts visualizing qualities of smart materials and requests the automotive field. Sprinkle is an upholstery with light emitting, light reflective and antistatic values. The materials used are monofilament, polyester and electroluminescent wires. Wave is an upholstery design with antistatic, light reflective and RFI/Emi shielding qualities. The materials used are stainless steel yarn, rubco and monofilament. / <p>Program: Konstnärligt masterprogram i mode- och textildesign</p><p>Uppsatsnivå: D</p>

In this modern landscape where families are spending increasing time living separately, due to parental separation, work travel, and illness, current communication technologies do not fully support the needs of intimate family communication in families with young children, aged two to nine. Prolonged separation, without intimate communication, can damage parent and child relationships, impacting on intimacy, bonding, and a child’s mental health and wellbeing. Care and play activities are the main methods used to build bonds between parent and child. These are hard to replicate with ubiquitous communication technologies when families are separated. Ubiquitous technology, such as the telephone, is easy to use but does not offer engaging ways for a child to interact. Skype (video call), has a higher potential for engagement due to its multimodal nature (audio and visual), therefore is more emotionally expressive. However, to ‘Skype’ someone, a child requires adult support, as the technology is more complex to use than that of a telephone. Thus, neither the telephone or Skype fully meet family needs for communication. Parental-child separation was looked at within parental separation, work travel and illness, to explain how intimacy can be achieved through technology mediated communication systems. Following a Participatory Action Research methodology, utilising methods such as co-design, co-creation, and participatory design, the research discusses five small-scale studies as well as the Trace project, which was the main study of this research. This research addresses communication issues between families through textile-based communication systems which enable intimacy and bonding. It highlights the importance of intimate communications and offers a list of preferred modes of communication for scattered families (multimodal disparate objects that allow for synchronous or asynchronous communications with either the same modes or different modes of input and output). It also outlines key methods for designing new technologies suitable for use in family research (inclusive methods such as co-design, co-creation and participatory design). A better understanding of the participant families’ emotional needs was achieved, by allowing them to become active participants at every stage of the design process (planning, acting, observing, and reflecting), thus producing considerate technologies for remote family communications.