Breathable and Washable E-Textile with Readily Integrated Piezoelectric Perfluoroalkoxy Fiber for Wide Temperature Range Human Machine Interfaces

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: Not explicitly reported

• Effect Size: Voltage sensitivity: 744.9 ± 73.9 mV/N

• Primary Outcome: Charge sensitivity of textile: 316.6 ± 45.9 pC/N

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Gesture recognition accuracy >95% for five hand gestures

• Confidence Interval: Fiber charge sensitivity: 2.6 ± 0.2 pC/N at 0.2 MPa

Clinical Application

High feasibility for integration into existing textile manufacturing; requires validation in clinical settings for medical device approval Potential applications in aged care monitoring, disability services, and telehealth initiatives. Would require TGA evaluation for therapeutic claims. Could support NDIS assistive technology goals and rural health monitoring programs. Patients requiring continuous motion monitoring, rehabilitation therapy, assistive technology users, healthcare workers needing hands-free interfaces

Abstract

Flexible wearable sensors are widely explored for human-machine interaction and health monitoring. Electronic textiles (E-textiles) offer a promising pathway toward comfortable wearable devices by integrating sensing fibers directly into fabric structures. Among them, compared with piezoresistive and capacitive fiber sensors, piezoelectric fiber sensors require no external power supply. Compared with triboelectric fiber sensors, which are highly sensitive to humidity and temperature, piezoelectric fiber sensors provide more stable and reliable electrical signals. However, conventional piezoelectric fiber sensors still face challenges in achieving long-term wearing comfort and reliability under harsh environments. Herein, we develop a breathable, washable, and wide-temperature-tolerant based on piezoelectric perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) fibers, which can be readily integrated into E-textiles. The textile is produced via a weft knitting process that integrates coaxially structured PFA fibers with wool yarns, combining stable piezoelectric performance with wearing comfort. The fibers exhibited a charge sensitivity of (2.6 ± 0.2) pC/N at 0.2 MPa. The resulting E-textile exhibits a charge sensitivity of up to (316.6 ± 45.9) pC/N and a voltage sensitivity of (744.9 ± 73.9) mV/N. The textile maintains stable operation over a wide temperature range from -78 °C to 150 °C. Its weft-knitted structure provides breathability, while the textile also offers washability, UV resistance, and mechanical durability exceeding 10,000 stretching or bending cycles. Furthermore, the textile can effectively monitor various human motions. A smart glove constructed from five-channel PFA fibers achieved recognition accuracies above 95% for five hand gestures, demonstrating the potential offer self-powered E-textile as a wearable sensor for human-machine interaction.

References

1. 1.Zhou, L., Altmann, A. A., Xu, X., Zhang, T., Wang, Y., Zhukov, S., Ma, X., Kupnik, M., & Zhang, X. (2026). Breathable and washable e-textile with readily integrated piezoelectric perfluoroalkoxy fiber for wide temperature range human machine interfaces. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6c05630