...:: Days of Our Future ::...

Clothes made of this material could come in handy for cyclists, joggers and pedestrians on dark winter days, scientists at The William Lee Innovation Centre (WLIC), in the University’s School of Materials, who developed the product, say.

The high visibility jackets currently being used by emergency services, cyclists and highway maintenance workers - depend on external light sources to glow.

As such, they tend to be ineffective in low light situations. Since they always require a light source from something like vehicle headlights to make them visible, there is often the risk of the wearer being seen too late.

Clothes made of the electroluminescent yarn, however, allow the wearer to be permanently visible, thereby improving his/her personal safety.

The yarn consists of an inner conductive core yarn, coated with electroluminescent ink - which means it emits light when an electric current is passed through it - and a protective transparent encapsulation, with an outer conductive yarn wrapped around it.

When the electroluminescent (EL) yarn is powered with an inverter, the resultant electrical field between the inner and outer conductor causes the electroluminescent coating to emit light.

The emission of light occurs between the contact points between the outer yarn and the inner yarn.

WLIC head Dr Tilak Dias says the EL yarn is a novel technology, which emits light when powered by a battery. Its development is based on thin film electroluminescent technology, he says.

He says apart from being incorporated into clothing worn by cyclists, joggers and pedestrians, the EL yarn could also be used to weave or knit flexible road safety signs that communicate written instructions.


On a more glamorous note, Marie-Jacqueline, a French fashion designer, and LumiGram, have teamed up to create a very unique collection of Men’s and Women’s tops, based on fiber optic fabric.

When powered on by an embedded electronic module, the fiber optic fabric emits a colored light along the full length of the fiber, producing a stunning and classy luminous effect. A small switch allows turning the fabric light on/off.

“This collection of Tops perfectly demonstrates the amazing possibilities in term of design brought by this new technology, which allows us to give a magical dimension to our creations”, says Marie-Jacqueline. “The beautiful luminescence of the fiber optic fabric brings a unique depth and personality to our collection”.

Sources
thaindian.com
free-press-release.com