Smartextiles
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Textiles constitute an obvious choice as multifunctional platforms, since they are worn and used to cover and drape over many of the surfaces around us. They are commonly used to provide temporary shelter and cover from environment. In short, textiles frequent more places around us than we are often aware. One may justifiably argue that textiles serve as a natural interface between us and the environment in which we live. Textile products offer tremendous potential to functionalize and deploy sensors, actuators, and other devices at various hierarchical levels (from molecules to products) to engender intelligent attributes of self-monitoring, adaptation, responsiveness, and others. Research initiatives involved in SMARTextiles may include new materials on one end and adaptation of existing devices into textiles on the other. The recently completed and ongoing research activities as part of SMARTextiles initiative at the College of Textiles, NCSU, are unified by the theme of science and technology of multifunctional textile material/product design with unique functional attributes.

The Development of Optical Readers Technology and Image Processing Solutions to Identify Fiber Tagging Components

The application of micro tagging techniques to obtain "fiber passports" identifying the source, type, production conditions and composition of textile material is a novel approach to authenticate products, combat illegal import of goods, and provide a secure means of identification of fibrous material. North Carolina State University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in collaboration with Customs Sensors & Technology Inc., aim to develop and deploy an extensible optical reader technology and image processing solutions to identify and analyze textile tags for the US Textile and Apparel Industry as well as US Customs....more information

Other Projects: Responsive Textiles, Photosynthetic Surface, Electroactive Polymer, Fiber Actuator, Conductive Fiber, Vapor Phase Surface Modification of Fibers, Nanofibers for Energy Storage