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Saarland University’s Ultrathin Smart Textile Film Redefines Virtual Touch

person's hands
person's hands

A research team based at Saarland University and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) has created an ultrathin smart textile film that enables users to experience virtual touch, making immersive technologies such as virtual reality more immersive.

Professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki of the University will present the technology at Hannover Messe with a heartwarming use case of children in hospital wards using the technology to feel close to their loved ones. 

The ultrathin films act as a sensory layer, using dielectric elastomers to detect touch and external inputs. They are being incorporated into textiles with high precision: 

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‘The films, known as dielectric elastomers, act both as sensors – detecting the tactile input from mum or dad – and as actuators – that transmit these movements to the child’ – Professors Stefan Seelecke.

Similarly, due to its lightweight and non-expensive nature, these films can make gaming more immersive, for example, in virtual reality settings. In industrial use cases, they could be used for engineering. Likewise, the technology is energy efficient, further saving costs.

Overall, smart textile technology presents more immersive and innovative use cases in the real world, all at a low cost. Virtual immersion through touch using this technology offers an exciting look at the future of our digital lives and how it will blend with our physical ones.

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Jack Boreham

Jack Boreham is the editorial director and account executive at the Digital Twin Insider: the leading digital twin publication globally. Jack has been at the forefront of the platform's growth as a digital twin specialist - writing and advising projects in the Digital Twin space for over two years. [email protected]

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The Future of Materials Discovery: Reducing R&D Costs significantly with GenMat’s AI and Machine Learning Tools

When: July 13, 2023 at 11:30am

What: GenMat Webinar

Picture of Jake Vikoren

Jake Vikoren

Company Speaker

Picture of Deep Prasad

Deep Prasad

Company Speaker

Picture of Araceli Venegas

Araceli Venegas

Company Speaker

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