Imagine wearing clothes that can sense movement, generate power, or even help you walk.
That’s the idea behind a groundbreaking research project on “textile nerves” — special conductive fibers that could make the next generation of wearable electronics soft, flexible, and sustainable.
The project, led by doctoral researcher Claude Huniade, explores how to merge textiles and electronics in a way that feels natural on the body.
Instead of relying on traditional metal wires, which are stiff and heavy, Huniade’s work focuses on developing alternative materials that conduct electricity while remaining lightweight, stretchable, and compatible with existing textile manufacturing techniques.
The research had two major goals.
The first was to replace metals with new types of conductive materials such as carbon-based compounds, doped polymers, and ionically conductive liquids — materials where electric currents flow through charged ions rather than electrons.
The second goal was to make these new fibers scalable for real-world textile production, ensuring they can be woven, knitted, or integrated using standard machines found in today’s clothing industry.
One of the most promising discoveries was the use of ionic liquids, which are liquids made entirely of ions.
When applied to commercial fibers, these liquids gave fabrics improved flexibility and stretchability while keeping them soft to the touch. This made them “conformal” — able to adapt to the natural curves and movements of the body, much like skin.
“Ionotronics — where electrical currents are carried by ions — opens exciting new ways to connect electronics with biological systems such as the human nervous system,” Huniade explained.
“These materials may not conduct as well as metals, but they offer a softness and adaptability that metals never could.”
The potential applications are vast. Future smart fabrics could serve as bioelectrodes, sensors, heaters, or light sources, and could even power small devices through textile-based batteries.
But perhaps the most transformative use lies in rehabilitation technology — textile muscles that could help create soft, lightweight exoskeletons or prosthetics to support mobility and physical therapy.
Beyond its technological innovation, the project also champions sustainability.
By moving away from metal components and applying principles of green chemistry, the work supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production.
As Huniade’s research shows, the future of wearable technology may not lie in gadgets we strap to our bodies, but in fabrics that become part of us — flexible, responsive, and alive with electrical potential.
