Communications of the ACM
Simple Sewing Machine Has High-Tech Role in Future 'soft' Machines
Researchers at Purdue University altered a standard sewing machine so it can create ultra-stretchable interconnects out of conventional wire.
Credit: Babak Ziaie/Purdue University
Purdue University researchers have altered a standard sewing machine so it can create ultra-stretchable interconnects out of conventional wire that could lead to innovations such as "soft" robotics, wearable electronics, and implantable medical systems.
The wire is sewn in a zigzag pattern and embedded in a rubbery, stretchable "elastomer." The researchers have shown the interconnect is capable of stretching 500 percent of its length. "This compares to only a few percent for an ordinary metal connection," says Purdue professor Babak Ziaie. "The structures are also highly robust, capable of withstanding thousands of repeated stretch-and-release cycles."
The researchers also developed a method to sew the wire into a sheet of polythylene terephthalate (PET). The wire was stitched to the PET sheets with a water-soluble thread, and then the stretchable polymer was poured over the sheet, encasing the wire as it solidified. Finally, the researchers used warm water to dissolve the thread, and the flexible polymer was separated from the PET sheet with the wire embedded in it.
From Purdue University News
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