MIT Develops New Wearable Tech: OmniFiber

Researchers at MIT and Uppsala University, located in Sweden have partnered to create a smart fabric that can sense and respond to the movement of the wearer. Nicknamed OmniFiber, researchers developed a hollow central channel that allows movements to travel through it. The wearables miniature control platform also known as flo-IO, similar to a power circuit, directs the air pressure and flow rate to the material. Using this compressed air the fabric can bend, stretch, curl and pulse on demand. It’s very similar to an artificial muscle and is known to be very expressive and almost human-like.

The design of OmniFiber consists of 5 different layers of fluid, tubes, sensors, mesh and mechanical constraints. Currently this material is being tested for wearable use in garments constructed to help athletes and singers control their breathing. The upper body garment guides the body to expand and contract and teaches singers new breath techniques. Researchers are also looking into how this wearable tech can be beneficial to people recovering from COVID-19, specifically survivors dealing with respiratory ailments. 

Moving forward researchers are looking to develop longer fabric pipelines making the fiber continuous for industrial use. They are also looking into adding a new category of movement geared towards on-demand stiffness. Although this technology is still in the early stages of testing, once it’s released to the public it will have a lasting impact on material science and consumers for years to come.