North Carolina State University

Tushar K Ghosh

John F Muth

Anuj Dhawan

Abdelfattah M Seyam

Richard J Spontak

Alper Bozkurt

Michael McKnight

Ravi Shankar

A smart patch including multi-component strands integrated into clothing or other textiles where the strands of the smart patch include sensory elements that can simultaneously measure tactile forces, moisture/wetness, and other signals, such as biopotentials. A sensing system comprising: a first set of strands including a plurality of first multi-component strands, each of the first multi-component strands including a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion; and a second set of strands including a plurality of second multi-component strands, each of the second multicomponent strands including a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion, and a plurality of third multi-component strands, each of the third multicomponent strands including a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion, the third multi-component strands being different than the first multi-component strands and the second multi-component strands.

Smart sensing systems and related methods

An actuator element formed from an actuator composition is described, along with transducers including the same. The composition comprises: (i) a thermoplastic elastomer copolymer, the copolymer comprising at least one flexible midblock, and at least two glassy or semicrystalline endblocks; and (ii) a liquid modifier that selectively solvates the at least one flexible midblock.

Electroactive nanostructured polymers as tunable organic actuators

Coaxial and twisted pair conductive yarn structures reduce signal crosstalk between adjacent lines in woven electrical networks. A coaxial conductive yarn structure includes an inner conductive yarn having a plurality of conductive strands twisted together. An outer conductive yarn is wrapped around the inner conductive yarn. An insulating layer separates the inner and outer yarns. A twisted pair conductive yarn structure includes first and second conductive yarns, each including a plurality of conductive strands being twisted together. The first and second conductive yarns are twisted together to form a helical structure. In a woven electrical network, at least one conductor of adjacent conductive yarn structures is connected to ground to reduce signal crosstalk. Coaxial and twisted pair yarn structures may also be formed simultaneously with weaving or knitting the threads that make up the structures into a fabric.

Fabric and yarn structures for improving signal integrity in fabric-based electrical circuits

Methods and systems for selectively connecting and disconnecting conductors in a fabric are disclosed. First and second conductors are integrated into a fabric such that the conductors intersect at a crossover point. The conductors are bonded to each other at the crossover point to improve AC and DC characteristics. Disconnect areas may be provided near the crossover point to allow selective disconnection of the conductors from the crossover point.

Methods and systems for selectively connecting and disconnecting conductors in a fabric

An apparatus and method for biaxial load deformation testing of textile and other membrane materials including a first pair of spaced-apart segmented clamping systems for detachably engaging a membrane test material along opposing sides in the X direction. A second pair of spaced-apart segmented clamping systems is provided for detachably engaging a membrane test material along opposing sides extending in the Y direction. Each of the first pair and each of the second pair of spaced-apart segmented clamping systems are interconnected by a pantograph so as to be slidably extendable and slidably contractible with respect to each other and proportional to strain in the membrane test material in the X and Y directions, respectively. The first and second pair of segmented clamping systems are interconnected by a linkage system such that the second pair of segmented clamping systems will slidably extend in the Y direction proportional to strain imparted to a membrane test material in the Y direction when the first pair of segmented clamping systems is caused to move apart in the Y direction, and the first pair of segmented clamping systems will slidably extend in the X direction proportional to strain imparted to a test membrane in the X direction when the second pair of clamping systems is caused to move apart in the X direction.

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Tushar K Ghosh