Due to constantly shifting environmental and personal circumstances, humans have a wide range of thermal comfort needs. Cold intolerance (CI) is a personalized thermoregulation disorder characterized by a persistently cold-feeling problem, regardless of weather conditions. Improvements in clothing thermal comfort can help maintain proper insulation levels, hence reducing excess heat loss brought on by thermoregulation disorders since the wearer’s thermal comfort is impacted by controllable environmental and personal factors. Despite extensive research on cold-proof clothing, no studies have examined the current status of cold protective clothing systems when taking individual considerations into account, particularly those who use them and have cold sensitivity. There is a significant study gap in research on cold intolerance discomfort and advancements in appropriate cold protection apparel applied to individuals with thermoregulation disorders. Accordingly, this paper reviews the occurrence and severity of cold intolerance and its comfort challenges. It also addresses recent developments in cold protective clothing design, aimed at opening pathways for further investigation into adopting this cutting-edge technology for cold intolerance wear design. This review also aims to clarify the existing opportunities for enhancing the thermal insulation capabilities and other comfort factors of cold protection apparel, which are conducted during the stages of garment design and clothing material/textile manufacture. A thorough assessment of the research on introducing novel surface finishing methods in the pretreatment section and modifying the structural properties of garment materials at the fiber/yarn or weaving stage is conducted. Furthermore, we systematically discuss the potential design solutions regarding fit and size as well as stitching technologies during garment development for thermal insulation enhancement of cold protective clothing design.

This study focuses on the design and development of embroidered textile electrodes (textrodes) using diverse stitch techniques to enhance water retention performance for surface electromyography (sEMG) monitoring. A sandwiched structure was designed, incorporating textile filling materials between a conductive polyamide–silver hybrid thread and elastic support fabric. Three stitch patterns inner circle (IC), circle (C), and no center (NC) were combined with three filling materials: 3D knit (3Dk), microfiber (MF), and non-woven (NW), yielding nine electrode types. These electrodes were characterized for water retention properties, thickness, and skin–electrode impedance under dry and wet conditions. The results demonstrated superior performance by 3D knit-filled designs, which exhibited optimal water retention and low contact impedance, crucial for sEMG signal quality. Additionally, the study highlights the potential of leveraging natural moisture, such as sweat, to address the challenges of dry electrode discomfort. These findings present embroidered textrodes as a promising solution for improving biosignal monitoring in wearable smart textiles.

Protective clothing systems pose significant heat stress challenges in hot climate, limiting natural cooling through sweat evaporation. In such conditions, passive cooling systems could offer lightweight, silent, and energy-efficient solutions. However, their effectiveness and their physiological and psychological impact are influenced by specific operational conditions, including the type of clothing system used. This study assessed the thermophysiological effects of three passive cooling vests - Phase Change Material (PCM), Waterfill (WF), and Watersoak (WS) - worn under Belgian Defense clothing system with ballistic protection during wear trials at 30°C, 48% RH, 4 km/h, 120 min. The PCM vest with a transition temperature of 29°C provided the most effective cooling, significantly reducing torso microclimate temperature for 60 min. Over the total test duration, the torso microclimate temperature was lowered by an average of 1.5°C, accompanied by reduced cardiovascular strain, sweating, and enhanced thermal and wetness perception. Thus, the PCM can be a better solution than active cooling for operations up to 2 hours. Water-based cooling vests delivered mild cooling, with significant effect at 30 min, but temporary duration. They still showed reduced microclimate temperature by 0.5°C at 60 min, but became a thermal burden thereafter, confirming their limited performance under restrictive clothing. The results also showed that subjective experience did not fully align with objective data, confirming the importance of individual perception in comfort-related studies.

Thermocouples can be combined into thermopiles to sense heat differences or achieve localized heating and cooling. However, integrating them into textiles using yarns is not straightforward, and chemical methods face challenges like complex processing, poor scalability, and voltage non-uniformity. This study employs conventional weaving to fabricate textile-based thermocouples and thermopiles for wearable sensing and potential cooling applications, with a focus on protective clothing. Using stainless steel and nickel-coated carbon yarns, we demonstrate a more stable thermocouple than those made with chemical or welded methods, with minimal fabric damage. Four conductive yarns, stainless steel, carbon fiber (CF), and nickel-coated carbon fiber (NiFC), were woven and laser-cut to form thermocouples using three different binding types to connect them. Inox1–NiFC was the most efficient thermocouple, achieving the highest Seebeck coefficient of 21.87 µV/K with Binding 3. Binding 3 also reduced contact resistance by 66% across all configurations. Slightly lower but comparable performance was seen with Inox1–NiFC/Binding 2 (21.83 µV/K) and Inox2–NiFC/Binding 1 (15.79 µV/K). In contrast, FC-based thermocouples showed significantly lower Seebeck values: 5.67 µV/K (Inox2–FC/Binding 2), 5.43 µV/K (Inox1–FC/Binding 3), and 5.06 µV/K (Inox2–FC/Binding 1). A woven thermopile with three junctions made with the optimal binding and thermocouple combination generated an average of 55.54 µV/K and about 500 µV at small temperature differences (4–5 °C), with a linear voltage response suitable for sensing. While thermal sensing proved effective, Peltier cooling needs further optimization. This method offers a stable, low-cost, and scalable platform for textile-integrated thermoelectric systems, with strong potential for use in uniforms and other protective garments.

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) is a current research and development direction of the textile domain. As final applications, e-textiles may monitor human vital signs for sports and medicine, may extend garment functionality for entertainment, or ensure electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) using flexible textile shields. However, this book chapter focuses on a certain aspect of e-textiles, namely, their role in promoting interdisciplinary education. E-textile products are the result of material science, physics, mathematics, mechanics, electronics, and more recently of software and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This was the rationale for initiating three Erasmus+ projects in the field of e-textiles to foster interdisciplinary training for students and young professionals. The new educational materials tackle the relation between Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) disciplines of the official curricula and some of their final applications, such as e-textile prototypes. The educational materials are conceived in a problem-based learning (PBL) approach. The presented examples encompass fabrics with inserted metallic yarns and metallic coating for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, pressure sensors, and related electronic data processing, as well as virtual prototyping of Radio frequency (RF) suits. EMC is tackled from an educational perspective.

A wearable ECG monitoring system was developed by integrating embroidered electrodes, and the collected ECG waveforms were comparable to those obtained using gelled Ag/AgCl electrodes. The R-peak amplitude was 2.09 mV with a 42.9 dB SNR for signals acquired using embroidered electrodes. The ECG signal quality was observed to improve with an increase in electrode size and holding pressure. ECG signals were recorded while the subject was in a walking condition, resulting in detectable waveforms with no missing R-peak and a 30.13 dB SNR which were comparable to signals acquired using standard gelled electrodes under the same conditions. Overall, these results are promising for developing an applicable wearable ECG monitoring system.

Textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) hold considerable promise as sustainable power sources for wearable electronics, yet their seamless integration into everyday clothing remains a challenge. This paper introduces a scalable woven TENG structure that utilizes core−shell yarns composed of commercially available wool and polyester with an inner copper electrode. The device achieves notable performance with an output voltage of 18.5 V, a current of 3.7 µA, and a power density of 51 mW/m2. The novel multilayer design combines hybrid single-electrode and contact-separation approaches, significantly enhancing triboelectric performance and the device’s durability. The multilayer functionality amplifies energy conversion efficiency by increasing the contact area and optimizing charge accumulation through multiple interacting layers. This advanced textile TENG is comfortable, flexible, and aesthetically pleasing while being compatible with large-scale textile manufacturing processes. It demonstrates excellent washability, durability under diverse weather conditions, and resilience to repeated mechanical loading. Highly responsive to a broad range of forces, from gentle taps to strong impacts, this TENG is versatile for body motion monitoring and wearable applications. It represents a significant advancement in creating practical, efficient, and durable energy-harvesting textiles, with promising applications in garment production for precise motion detection, such as for professional athletes and individuals requiring specialized monitoring.

Surface electromyography is a technique used to measure the electrical activity of muscles. sEMG can be used to assess muscle function in various settings, including clinical, academic/industrial research, and sports medicine. The aim of this study is to develop a wearable textile sensor for continuous sEMG monitoring. Here, we have developed an integrated biomedical monitoring system that records sEMG signals through a textile electrode embroidered within a smart sleeve bandage for telemetric assessment of muscle activities and fatigue. We have taken an “Internet of Things”-based approach to acquire the sEMG, using a Myoware sensor and transmit the signal wirelessly through a WiFi-enabled microcontroller unit (NodeMCU; ESP8266). Using a wireless router as an access point, the data transmitted from ESP8266 was received and routed to the webserver-cum-database (Xampp local server) installed on a mobile phone or PC for processing and visualization. The textile electrode integrated with IoT enabled us to measure sEMG, whose quality is similar to that of conventional methods. To verify the performance of our developed prototype, we compared the sEMG signal recorded from the biceps, triceps, and tibialis muscles, using both the smart textile electrode and the gelled electrode. The root mean square and average rectified values of the sEMG measured using our prototype for the three muscle types were within the range of 1.001 ± 0.091 mV to 1.025 ± 0.060 mV and 0.291 ± 0.00 mV to 0.65 ± 0.09 mV, respectively. Further, we also performed the principal component analysis for a total of 18 features (15 time domain and 3 frequency domain) for the same muscle position signals. On the basis on the hierarchical clustering analysis of the PCA’s score, as well as the one-way MANOVA of the 18 features, we conclude that the differences observed in the data for the different muscle types as well as the electrode types are statistically insignificant.

This study focuses on advancing sweat management in clothing using low-current operating textile electroosmotic pumps, which could be beneficial for microenvironments with restricted ventilation, such as the one between the skin and protective wear. These systems, employing silver–copper fabric electrodes, a polycarbonate membrane with microchannels, and an adhesive web, enabled directed liquid transport. The critical role of the adhesive layer preparation is emphasized, often overlooked in previous research. Various adhesive perforations were tested for their impact on the flow under current action, both with and against gravity. Specific adhesive application techniques are proposed, found to significantly influence the flow rate and textile assembly cohesion. The custom setup yielded flow rates of up to 8.8 ± 0.08 mg min−1 cm−2, suitable for diverse human sweat rates. Optimization hinges on the delicate balance between binding and the active surface areas of the adhesive.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are devices that efficiently transform mechanical energy into electrical energy by utilizing the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction. Embroidery triboelectric nanogenerators (ETENGs) offer a distinct prospect to incorporate energy harvesting capabilities into textile-based products. This research work introduces an embroidered triboelectric nanogenerator that is made using polyester and nylon 66 yarn. The ETENG is developed by using different embroidery parameters and its characteristics are obtained using a specialized tapping and friction device. Nine ETENGs were made, each with different stitch lengths and line spacings for the polyester yarn. Friction and tapping tests were performed to assess the electrical outputs, which included measurements of short circuit current, open circuit voltage, and capacitor charging. One sample wearable embroidered energy harvester collected 307.5 μJ (24.8 V) of energy under a 1.5 Hz sliding motion over 300 s and 72 μJ (12 V) of energy through human walking over 120 s. Another ETENG sample generated 4.5 μJ (3 V) into a 1 μF capacitor using a tapping device with a 2 Hz frequency and a 50 mm separation distance over a duration of 520 s. Measurement of the current was also performed at different pressures to check the effect of pressure and validate the different options of the triboelectric/electrostatic characterization device. In summary, this research explains the influence of embroidery parameters on the performance of ETENG (Embroidery Triboelectric Nanogenerator) and provides valuable information for energy harvesting applications.

This paper investigates the performance of woven triboelectric nanogenerators (W-TENGs) fabricated with different fabric patterns, specifically plain, twill, and hopsack weaves, using wool and polyester yarns. It is intended to enhance the electrical output and efficiency of W-TENGs for potential applications in wearable electronics by optimizing the weaving pattern. Results indicate that W-TENGs with twill 2/2 and hopsack 2/2 patterns exhibit superior electrical outputs, attributed to their higher contact surface area and roughness. The twill 2/2 pattern demonstrates the highest electrical output, generating an open-circuit voltage of 4.7 V, a short-circuit current of 4 mu A, and a transferred charge of 0.35 mu C. This study also highlights the critical role of surface area and dielectric material roughness in determining the output performance of triboelectric structures. A theoretical model is developed to calculate the real contact surface area of the woven fabrics with different patterns. Statistical analysis reveals significant relationships between surface roughness parameters and electrical performance. Dynamic testing under varying contact forces and frequencies demonstrates the practical applicability and robustness of the W-TENGs. Furthermore, the devices exhibit excellent durability, maintaining stable performance over extended periods. This research provides new insights into fabric design strategies for optimizing energy harvesting in wearable devices.

Textile-based electrodes offer several advantages such as washability, flexibility, and reusability. However, there are challenges when it comes to long-term, real-time continuous monitoring, particularly during self-administration situations which introduce severe motion artifacts. In response to these challenges, researchers have explored various moisture retaining filling textiles to enhance the sustainability of long-term EMG monitoring. This study focuses on comparing three alternative textile fillings: 3D knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, and microfiber sandwiched between embroidered textile electrodes to evaluate their moisture retention performance and ability to record EMG. The developed electrodes are comprised of embroidered a polyamide-silver hybrid conductive thread, with the filling textiles sandwiched between this yarn and the support fabric and bobbin yarn. The support fabric is an elastic textile band. The creation of these electrodes utilized satin stitch techniques. Impedance characteristics were analysed using an IVI-UM setup with a two-electrode configuration. The electrodes were applied to the subject’s bicep muscles using the elastic strap with a pressure of 12 mmHg. The developed textile filled embroidered electrodes using the satin stitch technique exhibited better dry and wet electrode skin-contact impedance performance compared to the normal satin stitch-based embroidered electrodes against to (Ag/AgCl) electrodes. Further evaluation focused on assessing the long-term stability and wettability of the wet electrode conditions with various drying time. The wet 3D knit (W3D) large satin stitched sandwiched electrodes displayed lower impedance characteristics than those made with wet nonwoven (WNW), wet microfiber (WMF), and the dry embroidered electrodes, with worst performing the normal satin stitch embroidered electrode. It was observed that increasing drying time increases skin-contact impedance, emphasizing the significance of selecting the appropriate filling materials capable of retaining moisture comfort over extended periods. This choice is vital for achieving long-term EMG monitoring and maintaining low contact impedance, which directly impacts the signal quality. The study evaluated the effects of moisture retention time for each textile filling type on sustainable long-term EMG monitoring. Among the tested electrodes, the wet ring satin stitch 3D knit (W3D) sandwiched embroidered electrode out-performed the others WNW, and wet MF based sandwiched electrode achieving a signal-to-noise ratio of 54.93 dB and a root mean square of 0.195 mV, respectively, at the parametric values identified in the experiments.

The diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases is complicated by overlapping symptoms from other conditions. Textile-based surface electromyography (sEMG) of skeletal muscles, offer promising potential in diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of various neuromuscular disorders. However, it is important to consider the impact of load and pressure on EMG signals, as this can significantly affect the signal’s accuracy. This study seeks to investigate the influence of load and pressure on EMG signals and establish a processing framework for these signals in the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases. The sEMG data were collected from healthy subjects using a textile electrode developed from polyester multi-filament conductive hybrid thread (CleverTex). The textrode was embroidered directly on an elastic bandage (Velcro® strap) placed on volunteer’s muscles while different activities were performed with varying loads and pressure. The collected data were pre-processed using standard techniques of the discrete wavelet transform to remove noise and artifacts. The performance of the proposed denoising algorithm was evaluated using the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), percentage root mean square difference (PRD), and root mean square error (RMSE). Various signal processing approaches (filters) were considered and the results were compared with the proposed EMG noise reduction algorithms. Based on the experimental results, the fourth level of decomposition for the sym5 wavelets with the Rigrsure threshold method achieved the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values of 16.69 and 21.91, for soft and hard thresholding functions, respectively. The SNR values of 22.11, 21.54, and 2.78 at three different pressure levels 5 mmHg, 10 mmHg, and 20 mmHg, respectively, indicate the superior performance of wavelet multiresolution filter in de-noising applications. The results of this study suggest that our methodology is effective, precise, and reliable for analysing sEMG data and provide insights into both physiological and pathological neuromuscular conditions.

Though the transition from disposable to reusable surgical gowns holds substantial promise, successful implementation faces challenges. This study investigated tactile and thermophysiological comfort in surgical reusable gowns, comparing them with their disposable counterparts. Parameters such as surface roughness, compression, heat flux, and material rigidity were tested using a Fabric Touch Tester. Additionally, the water vapour permeability and static charge of the gowns were assessed. Thermophysiological comfort of the gowns was evaluated by measuring the temperature and relative humidity (RH) on test subjects during wear trials where they were engaged in an activity that mimics a surgeon’s performance. Skin temperature was monitored using iButton sensors and a thermal camera, and the impact on heart rate during the task was analysed. Following each test, participants provided subjective feedback through a questionnaire. The results indicated that reusable gowns boasted a smoother texture, translating to reduced friction on the skin and better heat transfer compared to the disposable fabrics, as indicated using FTT. They also exhibited higher water vapour permeability compared to their disposable counterparts. The wear trials revealed minimal differences in comfort between disposable and reusable gowns. While performing the activity, an increase in body temperature led to decreased RH, yet this rise did not adversely affect subject comfort, as validated using heart rate and questionnaire survey data. From a comfort point of view, switching from disposable to reusable gowns would not have drawbacks, meaning hospitals should be able to switch provided logistics and costs can be managed.

The "Embroidery Triboelectric Nanogenerator" (E-TENG) is a wearable device that extracts energy from human motion by making use of the triboelectric phenomena, in addition to conductive fabric along with embroidery threads. One of the greatest ways to transform ambient vibrational energy from the human body is to use a wearable triboelectric energy harvester. In this study, different E-TENGs were developed using conductive fabric as an electrode and two different triboelectric yarns, 100% Polyester (electron donor) and Nylon 6,6 (electron receiver). To investigate the electrical outputs and energy-collecting potential of the ETENG, different stitch length and line spacing of embroidery TENG were investigated by testing samples in a specially manufactured tapping and sliding devices. The optimized wearable embroidery energy harvester effectively captured 72 μJ (12 V) of human motion energy in a 1 μF capacitor in 120 s and 307.5 μJ (24.8 V) of energy in a 1 μF capacitor by 1.5 Hz sliding motion in 300 s from an ETFS3.1 sample. A maximum of 4.5 μJ (3 V) was collected in a 1 μF capacitor from ETFS2.3 using a tapping machine for 520 s at a 2 Hz tapping motion and a 50 mm separation distance. The effects of the stitch length and line spacing in the embroidered structure on the electrical output performance of the embroidery energy-harvesting TENG were investigated.

For insights into rainfall infiltration on soil slopes and coupled transmission mechanisms, two-phase flow and finite element analysis were employed to examine water and air movement during the Shuping landslide. The results indicated a division of the landslide surface into two zones: an upper inflow area and a lower overflow area, driven by contrasting inflow and outflow directions. The total water and air flux remained stable, minimally affected by external factors such as rainfall attributes, surface runoff, and air temperature variations. In the inflow area of the slope surface, when rainfall intensity was greater than the total rate of the infiltration of water and air, the magnitude of infiltration equalled to the total rate infiltration of water and air, and runoff generation occurred in this area. Conversely, when infiltration matched rainfall intensity, runoff was absent in this area. In addition, water pressure in the saturated area of the slope surface can be transferred to the groundwater of the slope by pore air pressure, which could also increase the pressure head of the groundwater, and this was also detrimental to slope stability. Regarding uniform rainfall, it significantly reduces the safety factor, potentially making it the most hazardous pattern for slope failure.

The permeability function is one of the key properties in unsaturated soil mechanics and variation of parameters in soil water characteristic curve can easily affect matric suction as well as infiltration. The purpose of this research is to explore the significant effect of parameters in SWCC on rainfall infiltration. A water gas two phase flow analysis method was conducted to investigate the influence of parameters in SWCC on stable infiltration intensity. Result showed that when saturation was low, stable intensity of infiltration was greatly affected by matric suction because the modified parameters were related to pore size distribution such as air entry value ρ0 and parameter m. When saturation was close to 1, the influence of soil infiltration intensity was almost not affected by matric suction. The minimum value of stable infiltration of intensity was mainly determined by the intrinsic permeability, while saturation of this value was mainly affected by soil water characteristic curve, intrinsic permeability coefficient of soil as well as water relative permeability coefficient.

This study deals with textile thermopiles. Textile thermopiles were realized in the form of five serial thermocouples for higher sensitivity. Textile thermopiles realized for this article were made of two types of hybrid conductive threads, materials correspond to thermocouple type T. Thermocouple junctions were realized by embroidery of X-shape and welded by thermocompression welding on a resistance welding machine. Welding was realized using the thermocompression electrode. Samples were tested at the stepped temperature profile in the range from $40^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ to $145^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. Results were compared with individual textile thermocouples. The sensitivity and standard deviation of test set textile thermopiles and thermocouples were calculated. It corresponds to the IEC 584 Class 2 condition.

Electronic yarns contain electronic components which are fully embedded into the conductive yarn's structure before manufacturing smart textile garments or fabrics. To accept comprehensively the electronic textiles, it is essential to integrate the electronic components into/onto the conductive textile yarn without compromising the quality of the textile substrate. Therefore, one of the solutions is to create flexible and stretchable conductive yarn that contains a small surface-mounted electronic component embedded in the fibers of the conductive yarn. The purpose of this research work is to manufacture and subsequently evaluate the physical and electromechanical properties of amber strand (Toyobo's p-phenylene benzobisoxazole fiber zylon) yarns with embedded surface-mounted device components. Using a benchtop reflow-soldering machine, the surface-mounted device component was successfully inserted into the amber strand conductive yarn. Then the developed electronic yarn was coated using thermoplastic polyurethane for encapsulation purposes. Furthermore, reliability tests of the electrical and mechanical properties of the electronic yarn (tensile strain and washing) were carried out. From the results it can be seen that the developed thermoplastic polyurethane encapsulated electronic yarn had a tensile strength of 37.38 N with a 4.1 mm extension. Furthermore, the relationship between the strain and washing action on the electrical resistance of the developed electronic yarn was experimentally investigated. The analytical finding shows that mechanical stress and laundry washing had a significant influence on the electrical resistance of the electronic yarn.

The complex problem of ropes (cyclic) bending over sheaves (CBOS) is considered in this article. Ropes that are used to manoeuvre and regulate sails undergo a variety of dynamic stresses which are crucial yet difficult to determine, due to the complexity of the multi-scaled braiding structure of ropes. A full dynamic Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation of a braided rope bending over a sheave is conducted with the commercial software Abaqus/Explicit, as it can capture the complex processes occurring inside the rope to high accuracy. A theoretical deduction is performed to determine the yarn paths in a 3D braided structure. Relative movement between braided yarns (including the interlacing point) are better assessed at yarn level through 3D element types instead of the traditional beam elements, as they allow to obtain an estimation of yarn-yarn displacement. Parametric studies are conducted to better understand the factors that affect the yarn sliding. The ratio between the diameter of the sheave and the rope, and the braiding angle, are found to be crucial for the relative movement, while the number of yarns and their diameters have little influence. The successful simulation process demonstrates the feasibility of modelling and analysing the complex interaction occurring in braided structures under specific boundary conditions. The calculated estimated displacement can contribute to further investigations such as the friction and heat generation problem in braided ropes. Simulation with this method can provide alternatives in predicting lifespan of braided products that cannot be easily inspected.