What it is
Smart textiles are fabrics integrated with electronic components, sensors, actuators, or conductive fibers to enable them to sense, respond, and adapt to environmental stimuli. These textiles transform traditional clothing into interactive, functional systems, bridging material science, electronics, and wearable technology. Smart textiles can monitor physiological parameters, environmental conditions, or mechanical stress, and they can also actuate, change color, or provide haptic feedback based on the input signals. This makes them an essential component in wearable technology, healthcare, military applications, and sports science.
Why disruptive
- Interactive clothing: Smart textiles convert passive fabrics into active devices capable of communication and monitoring.
- Health and safety monitoring: Real-time tracking of heart rate, temperature, motion, and posture enables preventive healthcare.
- Enhanced performance tracking: Athletes can monitor metrics like sweat, temperature, and muscle activity.
- Military and defense applications: Uniforms can include sensors for physiological monitoring, environmental awareness, and situational alerts.
- IoT and AI integration: Smart textiles become part of the connected ecosystem, feeding data to wearable AI platforms for analysis and decision-making.
By embedding intelligence into fabrics, smart textiles reshape clothing from passive protection to active functional devices, revolutionizing wearables.
Applications
- Healthcare monitoring: Continuous tracking of heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory activity, and body temperature.
- Sports and fitness: Monitoring biomechanics, posture, muscle activity, and sweat composition for performance optimization.
- Military and defense uniforms: Sensors for stress monitoring, hydration, and environmental hazards.
- Protective clothing: Fabrics that respond to heat, fire, chemical exposure, or mechanical impact.
- Wearable haptics and feedback systems: Interactive garments providing tactile feedback for rehabilitation or virtual reality.
- Environmental monitoring: Fabrics sensing pollution, UV exposure, or humidity.
- Fashion and adaptive textiles: Color-changing, light-emitting, or shape-adaptive fabrics for aesthetic and functional purposes.
Future potential
- IoT-connected garments: Smart textiles integrated with cloud computing and wearable AI for real-time health monitoring.
- Self-powered textiles: Energy harvesting fabrics generating electricity from motion or solar exposure.
- Multifunctional clothing: Combining sensing, actuation, communication, and protection in a single garment.
- Personalized healthcare textiles: Garments tailored for patients with chronic illnesses or rehabilitation needs.
- Interactive sportswear: AI-driven analytics for injury prevention and performance enhancement.
- Military innovation: Smart uniforms capable of situational awareness, energy harvesting, and adaptive protection.
- Sustainable smart textiles: Biodegradable fabrics embedded with eco-friendly sensors.
By 2035, smart textiles will become a standard in healthcare, sports, defense, and wearable technology, forming the foundation of wearable AI ecosystems.
Current Research Areas in Smart Textiles Technology
- Conductive fibers and yarns: Developing flexible, durable, and washable conductive threads for electronic integration.
- Embedded sensors: Physiological, environmental, and chemical sensors incorporated into fabrics.
- Actuation and adaptive fabrics: Shape-memory, color-changing, or thermoregulating textiles.
- Energy harvesting textiles: Fabrics that generate electricity through motion, solar energy, or body heat.
- Wearable electronics and interconnects: Flexible circuits and connectors suitable for garments.
- Washable and durable smart textiles: Improving longevity and reliability after repeated washing and usage.
- Textile-based AI and IoT integration: Connecting smart fabrics to cloud or wearable AI platforms for real-time analysis.
- Biomedical applications: Smart garments for monitoring chronic conditions or rehabilitation.
- Sports and performance analytics: Textiles that track motion, stress, and environmental factors.
- Environmental sensing and protection: Fabrics detecting UV, pollution, chemicals, or temperature changes.
- Haptic and feedback systems: Wearable fabrics providing tactile feedback or interactive experiences.
- Sustainable and biodegradable smart textiles: Eco-friendly materials for next-generation smart fabrics.
Key Journals Accepting Papers on Smart Textile Technology
Journals are categorized as Open Access, Hybrid, and Subscription (Payment), all indexed in Scopus and recognized by CSI tools.
Open Access Journals
- Textile Research Journal (Open Access option)
Focus: Advances in textile materials, smart fabrics, and functional textiles.
Fit: Smart textile development, embedded sensors, and wearable applications.
Indexing: Scopus Q1, CSI-recognized. - Sensors (MDPI)
Focus: Sensor technology for materials and wearable applications.
Fit: Textile-integrated sensors for physiological or environmental monitoring.
Indexing: Scopus Q2–Q1, CSI-approved. - Frontiers in Materials
Focus: Material science including functional, smart, and responsive materials.
Fit: Development of bio-inspired or adaptive smart textiles.
Indexing: Scopus Q2–Q1, CSI-recognized.
Hybrid Journals
- Advanced Functional Materials
Focus: Functional, responsive, and adaptive materials science.
Fit: Smart textiles with sensing, actuation, or energy-harvesting functions.
Indexing: Scopus Q1, CSI-evaluated. - Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures
Focus: Intelligent and adaptive materials, soft robotics, and responsive textiles.
Fit: Smart textile systems and wearable integration studies.
Indexing: Scopus Q1, CSI-recognized. - Materials & Design
Focus: Materials engineering, structural design, and functional applications.
Fit: Wearable materials design and textile-based smart devices.
Indexing: Scopus Q1, CSI-evaluated. - Smart Materials and Structures
Focus: Smart materials, adaptive systems, and wearable technologies.
Fit: Textile-integrated sensors, actuators, and responsive systems.
Indexing: Scopus Q1, CSI-recognized.
Subscription (Traditional) Journals
- Nature Materials
Focus: High-impact functional and smart materials research.
Fit: Breakthrough smart textile concepts, adaptive fabrics, and wearable devices.
Indexing: Scopus Q1, CSI-top-tier journal. - Advanced Materials
Focus: Cutting-edge materials science and technology.
Fit: Smart textiles, conductive fibers, and responsive materials.
Indexing: Scopus Q1, CSI-recognized. - Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Focus: Functional materials for optical, electronic, and wearable applications.
Fit: Textile-integrated electronics, sensors, and adaptive fabrics.
Indexing: Scopus Q1, CSI-evaluated. - Wearable Technologies
Focus: Interdisciplinary wearable systems and devices.
Fit: Smart textile applications for health, sports, and defense.
Indexing: Scopus Q2, CSI-recognized.
Summary Table — Smart Textiles Journals Overview
| Type | Journal Name | Focus Area | Scopus Indexed | CSI Recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Access | Textile Research Journal | Smart fabrics & wearables | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Access | Sensors (MDPI) | Textile-embedded sensors | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Access | Frontiers in Materials | Functional & adaptive textiles | ✅ | ✅ |
| Hybrid | Advanced Functional Materials | Responsive & energy-harvesting textiles | ✅ | ✅ |
| Hybrid | Journal of Intelligent Material Systems & Structures | Adaptive textile systems | ✅ | ✅ |
| Hybrid | Materials & Design | Smart materials & wearable devices | ✅ | ✅ |
| Hybrid | Smart Materials and Structures | Sensors & actuators in textiles | ✅ | ✅ |
| Subscription | Nature Materials | High-impact smart textile research | ✅ | ✅ |
| Subscription | Advanced Materials | Conductive fibers & wearable materials | ✅ | ✅ |
| Subscription | Journal of Materials Chemistry C | Functional wearable textiles | ✅ | ✅ |
| Subscription | Wearable Technologies | Applied smart textile devices | ✅ | ✅ |