Advanced Functional Fibers for Imperceptible Sensing and Healthcare

Speaker: Lei Wei

Venue: Ground Floor Lecture Room, CHOW YEI CHING Building, Yuquan Campus

Abstract: The integration of a variety of functional materials within thermal-drawn fibers has emerged as a versatile platform for the fabrication of advanced functional fiber electronics. This approach exploits the thermal drawing of a macroscopic preform, where functional materials or prefabricated devices are arranged at a prescribed position, yielding kilometers of fibers with a sophisticated architecture and complex functionalities in a very simple and scalable manner. A single strand of fiber that incorporates materials with disparate electronic, optoelectronic, thermomechanical, rheological, and acoustic properties can see objects, heat sound, sense stimuli, communicate, store and convert energy, modulate temperature, monitor health, and dissect brains. Integrating these functional fibers into fabrics, ancient yet largely underdeveloped forms, is setting the stage for fabrics to be the new frontier in imperceptible sensing and healthcare.