Screen on Your Shirt Collar: Smart Clothing Displays Video and Responds to Touch

Imagine your clothes transforming into an electronic screen, allowing you to watch videos, browse photos, or use a calculator simply by touching the sleeve of your shirt.

This is what researchers at the National University of Singapore have achieved, by developing electronic threads that turn the fabric itself into a washable and foldable interactive display.

Led by Assistant Professor Tural Khudiyev, the team developed fine fibers containing thousands of electronic chips, LEDs, and touch sensors, then integrated 54 of these threads into a shirt sleeve to create a screen with a resolution of 96 by 54 pixels, capable of displaying video at 30 frames per second.

The shirt’s capabilities extend beyond image display; it can run a calculator, receive data via Bluetooth, respond to voice commands, measure body temperature, and function as an electronic compass.

Notably, these features did not compromise the fabric’s flexibility or breathability. According to the researchers, the screen retained nearly all its performance after 50 wash cycles using detergents and 1,000 folding tests.

The team published their findings in the scientific journal Nature, with hopes of developing higher-resolution screens and adding artificial intelligence capabilities in the future.

Although the technology remains experimental, it opens the door to a new generation of clothing that not only can be worn but also interacts with the wearer and displays information directly on the fabric.