This paper presents user‐interactive and wireless‐communicating radio‐frequency (RF) textiles made from glass–metal–polymer composite fibers that interact with the user through touch‐sensing and that relays the touch data through IEEE 802.15.4 and Bluetooth protocols at 2.4 GHz frequency. This work integrates several textile functionalities in fiber‐form including capacitive touch sensing, electrical interconnects, and 2.4 GHz wireless communications using submillimeter glass–metal–polymer composite fibers imbedded into the textile host. Tests conducted with these user‐interactive RF textiles have shown that the emissive performance in terms of radiation pattern, gain, and signal strength adequately address short‐range wireless communications applications in compliance with Bluetooth protocols, and that the user‐interaction is enabled through capacitive finger‐touch sensing with a 1 ms time response. This approach demonstrates that glass‐fiber textiles can be adequately designed for user‐interactive and wireless communications applications addressing 2.4 GHz frequency bands while preserving the mechanical and cosmetic properties of the garments.

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Glass samples of composition 40AgI–(60–x)­AgPO3–xAg2WO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 25 mol %) have been prepared by the conventional melt-quenching method. These glasses receive renewed interest due to their ionic conductivity and transparency in the visible range. Because the physical and optical properties of these glasses are highly dependent on composition in this system, a comprehensive structural study has been carried out using Raman spectroscopy and 1D and 2D NMR of the 31P and 109Ag nuclei. With increasing Ag2WO4 content, the network is modified from a 1D Q(2)-like chain structure to a topology in which Q(1) and Q(0) species linked to octahedrally coordinated tungsten species dominate. This structural transformation increases the glass rigidity and stability against hydrolysis reactions. The compositional evolution of the phosphate speciation (in terms of Q(n) mW units) is consistent with maximum tungstate dispersion in glasses with x ≤ 10, while for glasses with higher tungstate content the data are more consistent with a random distribution of P–O–P, P–O–W, and W–O–W linkages. The 109Ag NMR chemical shifts are independent of composition and suggest that mobile silver ions are situated within cluster regions, furnishing a constant mixed iodide/oxide local environment.

Abstract-Miniaturized, multi-material fibers represent a novel promising approach to integration of higher-level functionalities into textile mediums. In this work, we present novel 'smart textile' fabrics featuring multi-material fiber antennas compatible with existing 2.4GHz wireless communication networks. A submillimeter leaky coaxial cable fiber antenna is shown to be fully compatible with a textile weaving process, and exhibits an isotropic radiation pattern in the H-plane and multiple radiation lobes in the E-plane, in accordance with theory and simulations.