Virtual prototyping and CMT production for smart clothing

The aim in this research is to utilize virtual prototyping to design and develop tightly fitting smart clothing integrated with transmission lines produced from conductive textiles using cut-and-sew technologies. The study evaluates how body posture dynamics affect the comfort and aesthetics of the garment by examining the tensile strain behavior of the element with conductive textile tracks. Virtual try-on technology was employed to assess garments with different geometry elements with conductive tracks. The results indicate that the sewn conductive tracks significantly limit the deformability of the basis material under low loads, and that up to four times less force is required to obtain 20% stretching deformations in systems incorporating Shieldex Balingen (SB), compared with those incorporating Shieldex Kassel (SK). The geometry of the element with conductive tracks is important for wear comfort during body movement, with simulations showing maximum deformations of up to 20% lengthening in the shoulder blade area. The best performance was observed in a variant 1 in which the SB conductive material extends 6 cm along the measurement line, with vertical tracks spaced 44 mm apart. Conductive element incorporating knitted fabric SB demonstrated good deformation properties, making it an excellent choice for tightly fitting smart clothing design. However, continued research and development is recommended to optimize these elements with transmission lines of conductive textiles, and further evaluation will be required to assess the durability and resistance to multicyclic stretching and washing.