Scientists develop clothing that can communicate
New York, Aug 12 : Researchers have, for the first time, produced fibres with embedded electronics that are so flexible they can be woven into soft washable fabrics and made into wearable clothing.
Embedding high speed optoelectronic semiconductor devices, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and diode photodetectors, into washable fabrics also makes it possible to produce clothing that communicates optically with other devices.
This discovery, described in the journal Nature, could unleash a new 'Moore's Law' for fibres, in other words, a rapid progression in which the capabilities of fibres would grow rapidly and exponentially over time, said researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston.
The key breakthrough for producing these new fibres was to add to the preform light-emitting semiconductor diodes the size of a grain of sand, and a pair of copper wires a fraction of a hair's width.
When heated in a furnace during the fibre-drawing process, the polymer preform partially liquifies, forming a long fibre with the diodes lined up along its centre and connected by the copper wires.
"We are anticipating the emergence of a 'Moore's law' analogue in fibres in the years ahead," said Yoel Fink from the varsity.
"It is already allowing us to expand the fundamental capabilities of fabrics to encompass communications, lighting, physiological monitoring, and more. In the years ahead, fabrics will deliver value-added services and will no longer just be selected for aesthetics and comfort," Fink added.
In this case, the solid components were two types of electrical diodes made using standard microchip technology: LEDs and photosensing diodes.
The resulting fibres were then woven into fabrics, which were laundered 10 times to demonstrate their practicality as possible material for clothing.
One of the advantages of incorporating function into the fibre material itself is that the resulting fibre is inherently waterproof.
To demonstrate this, the team placed some of the photodetecting fibres inside a fish tank.
A lamp outside the aquarium transmitted music through the water to the fibres in the form of rapid optical signals.
The fibres in the tank converted the light pulses -- so rapid that the light appears steady to the naked eye -- to electrical signals, which were then converted into music. The fibres survived in the water for weeks.
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Siddaramaiah seeks Centre's urgent intervention over commercial LPG cylinder shortage
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday sought the Centre's urgent intervention to ensure supply of adequate commercial LPG cyclinders to hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru.
He said hotels, restaurants and catering establishments in the city would be forced to suspend operations if supplies are not restored, affecting a large number of students and working professionals who depend on them for regular meals.
In his letter to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, he also requested him to issue appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints that would help ease the situation.
Referring to the March 9 order issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas prioritising LPG supply for domestic consumers, Siddaramaiah said while the intention behind the order to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to households across the country is well understood and appreciated, its implementation appears to have led to an unintended shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.
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He cited that several hotels and restaurant associations in the city have reported that they are unable to procure commercial LPG cylinders, and many establishments are expressing concern that they may have to temporarily shut operations if supplies are not restored soon.
Bengaluru has a large ecosystem of small restaurants, mess facilities, and catering units that serve lakhs of people every day.
According to him, as per the discussions held with the oil marketing companies, the state's commercial LPG demand has traditionally been supported by supplies from the three OMCs-IOCL (around 500-550 MT per day), HPCL (around 300 MT per day) and BPCL (around 230 MT per day) and the sudden disruption of this supply is now severely affecting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru.
Any disruption to their functioning will have a direct impact on daily life in the city, he said.
"This issue also affects a large number of students and working professionals who live away from their homes and depend on hotels and mess facilities for regular meals. In addition, Choultries (wedding halls), hostels, and event venues that rely on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, particularly with scheduled social and community events," the chief minister said in the letter.
Given the scale of dependence on commercial LPG in a metropolitan city like Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah sought the union minister's intervention to ensure that adequate commercial LPG supply is made available to hotels, restaurants, choultries, community halls and any other pure commercial establishments.
"Appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints would help ease the situation. A timely resolution will help ensure that businesses continue to operate smoothly while also avoiding inconvenience to thousands of people who rely on these services on a daily basis," he added.
