The research team fabricated soft magnetic polymer composite fibres – just 57 micrometers in diameter – by uniformly dispersing magnetic powders in a plastic material (a low-density polyethylene matrix). These fibres not only achieve precise control under low-strength magnetic fields but also solve the problem of heavy magnetic powders. Furthermore, they can be spun into yarns and multi-layer fabrics to realise large-area, controllable deformation. This ground-breaking research was awarded HK$62.37 million under the Research Grants Council’s 2024/25 Theme-based Research Scheme, and has been published in the international journal Nature, in the paper titled “Vector-Stimuli-Responsive Magnetorheological Fibrous Materials”.
Unlike traditional smart materials that respond to scalar stimuli such as voltage, current or temperature, these in-house-developed magnetorheological textiles offer unique directionally controllable responses, enabling the development of the following three innovative fabric materials:
- Flexible Smart Gripper: With electric current controlling the fabric stiffness, the gripper can flexibly grasp soft, fragile or irregularly shaped items – such as worms, tofu, blueberries, mung bean cake, potato chips and fusilli – just like human fingers, significantly reducing the risk of damage or deformation during operation.
- Remote Emulation Haptic Finger Glove: The all-fabric materials can accurately replicate the surface textures and tactile hardness of different objects. Lightweight and comfortable to wear, they are suitable for diverse applications ranging from remote surgical training, stroke rehabilitation training and virtual fitting, addressing the common drawbacks of bulkiness and heaviness in similar haptic gloves available on the market.
- Active Ventilation and Thermal-Regulation Fabrics: Addressing the moisture and thermal management challenges in textile clothing, these fabrics can intelligently adjust air permeability by driving fibre structure deformation through electronically controlled magnetic fields, thereby significantly enhancing wearer thermal and moisture comfort.
Press release: https://polyu.me/4jHfM0m
Online coverage:
Mirage - https://polyu.me/3LwIJiD
Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/49EuwbF (subscription required)
Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/4jD8b2O
Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3YEqlaG
Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/49DceaL
Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/4qOKsyL
Headline for HK - https://polyu.me/3LGNqGM
| Research Units | Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems |
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