OmniFiber: Self Sensing Morphing Textiles

Revolutionizing the Future of Textiles with Advanced Fiber Technology

Traditional textiles have been viewed as static and disposable goods, but OmniFiber aims to change that perception. By integrating advanced fibers with the ability to sense their surroundings, store energy, and communicate, textiles are elevated to a whole new level. This technology opens up a world of possibilities, transforming textiles from mere objects into platforms for experiences and services.

What sets OmniFiber apart is its unique morphing behavior. The fiber is engineered to sense its own physical deformation and mechanically respond to it. This versatility allows for a wide range of applications, including kinesthetic wearables for skill learning and transfer, dynamic fitting garments, and textile-based haptic devices for telepresence applications.

The realization of OmniFiber is made possible through microfluidic actuation with reinforced tubular elastomers. The fiber acts as a fabric assembly, with localized sensor nodes applied to enable closed loop Human Textile Interaction. A mechanical programming pipeline allows for versatile morphing states by adding on-demand mechanical constraints. This technology enables in-fabric haptic feedback, including high-frequency oscillations, lateral skin stretch, and compression.

OmniFiber devices are incredibly thin, with a diameter ranging from 500 microns to 2 millimeters. They can be fabricated at virtually infinite lengths, with a continuous fabrication of a 60-meter-long fiber spool already achieved. These fibers exhibit impressive forces, with a single contractible fiber of 1.8 mm diameter capable of exerting up to 19 Newtons of force. The response time for full-state morphing is as little as 5 milliseconds, showcasing the high-speed linear actuation of OmniFiber.

The interaction with OmniFiber-based devices is facilitated through a fiber-based interface and a wearable pneumatic control module. Energy from a compressed fluid medium is converted to mechanical motion, with miniaturized valves in the control module varying air pressure and flow rate. Users can interact with the devices in real-time, record-playback interactions, or design morphing behavior using the graphical interface.

The development of OmniFiber began in April 2020 at MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and concluded in November 2021. The technology has been presented and demonstrated at the ACM User Interface Software and Technology Symposium in October 2021, garnering significant attention and acclaim.

OmniFiber is the result of extensive research and innovation in materials science. It represents a significant step towards a future where people can interact with machines through garments. The technology's low power consumption, high bandwidth, and strength make it ideal for a wide range of applications, including respiratory regulation-wear, soft exoskeletons for dance pedagogy, and peristaltic compression garments.

The development of OmniFiber was not without its challenges. Previous work in the field often focused on achieving either sensing or actuation, but rarely both. Additionally, existing fibers had limitations that hindered their integration into everyday interactions. OmniFiber overcomes these challenges by utilizing off-the-shelf materials, scalability, machine-knittable properties, and immediate response.

Ozgun Kilic Afsar, along with Ali Shtarbanov and Hiroshi Ishii, has created a truly groundbreaking technology with OmniFiber. This soft robotic fiber technology has the potential to transform the way we interact with textiles and open up new possibilities for design, innovation, and functionality.

OmniFiber has already received recognition for its ingenuity and creativity. It was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Textile, Fabric, Textures, Patterns, and Cloth Design category in 2022. This prestigious award honors designs that exhibit strong technical and creative skills, contribute to quality of life improvements, and make the world a better place.

With OmniFiber, the future of textiles is here, and it's more exciting than ever before. The integration of self-sensing and morphing capabilities into textiles opens up a world of possibilities for designers, innovators, and consumers alike. The potential applications are vast, and the impact on our daily lives could be profound. Get ready to experience the transformative power of OmniFiber.