Knitted switches for smart clothing using double electrode technology

Purpose – Electronic textiles are a major new development in the field of smart technology. There are many potential applications for electrically active textiles (EAT). The purpose of this paper is to present state-of-the-art knitted switches based on EAT technology.
Design/methodology/approach – The switches operate with double electrodes, and they are designed to be operated by a human finger, with or without a glove. In this study, these switches were manufactured based on EAT technology by generating conductive areas as electrodes.
Findings – A custom-made impedance analyzer was developed to identify the electrical characteristics of the switches. The deriving circuits were designed to operate the switches according to their impedance characteristics.
Originality/value – The switch working with glove and bare hand is novel.