Technology New fabric to translate sign language in future
Zurich researchers have developed a new type of "smart" fabric. According to ETH Zurich, it could be used to translate sign language or monitor the breathing of asthma patients.
19.05.2025, 11:57
SDA
The new fabric can precisely measure touch, pressure and movement, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) announced on Monday. In future, it could be used to make T-shirts that measure breathing rate or gloves that translate hand movements into commands for computers.
The researchers call their development sono-textiles. They presented them on Monday in a publication in the journal "Nature Electronics". The textiles work with the help of sound waves that are conducted through glass fibers woven into the fabric.
A small transmitter sends these waves through the glass fibers, while a receiver at the other end measures whether and how the waves change. If the fabric is pressed, bent or moved - by breathing or hand movements, for example - the glass fibers change and so does the sound wave that is transmitted through them. As each fiber works at its own frequency, the system can detect exactly where the change has taken place.
Not yet ready for applications
According to ETH Zurich, these measurements with acoustic waves are more precise and the textiles are lighter, more breathable and easier to wash than previous approaches, which used electronics for this purpose. They are also inexpensive and consume very little power.
In terms of practical application, however, there is still room for improvement, the researchers admitted. Glass fibers were ideal as sound conductors in the laboratory, but they could potentially break in everyday life. However, they could be replaced by metal, for example, they suggested in the press release.
