New sensor can "feel" clothes

If you want to design a fluffy sweater or a sleek shirt, you have to predict the properties of textile surfaces. Empa researchers have developed a new type of sensor to ensure that such information can be reproduced. In an international partnership with colleagues from the Université de Haute-Alsace in Mulhouse, an analytic instrument made of optical fibers has been developed that objectively evaluates the tactile properties of textiles. A scratchy cardigan triggers different sensations on the skin than a delicate silk blouse. If these properties are to be determined objectively and reproducibly, for example in order to develop new textiles, reliable analytical methods are asked for. Empa researchers, together with the Laboratory of Textile Physics and Mechanics at the Université de Haute Alsace in Mulhouse, have developed an optical sensor that is suitable for this purpose. To enable the sensor to detect the tactile properties of a surface, the researchers took the human fingertip as a model: Concentric grooves in the micrometer range cover the optical polymer fibers developed at Empa's Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles in St. Gallen.