Apple’s new technology: Inventing smart touch textiles
Apple has filed another patent for touch-sensitive smart textiles, but apparel companies remain skeptical of their commercial potential.
American tech giant Apple has filed a patent for a touch-sensitive smart fabric containing conductive threads that is “configured to detect the occurrence of a touch, the location of the touch and/or the force of the touch.”
Apple said that smart touch-sensitive textiles may be incorporated into clothing or any textile-based clothing, as well as wearable electronic devices.
According to them, conductive threads can be made from all kinds of threads, including copper thread, silver thread, or non-conductive natural or artificial fibers. The patent shows an image of a man using his shirt to power an electronic device.
This isn’t Apple’s first venture into futuristic textiles. In 2022, the company filed a patent for a “fabric control device” that would allow technology and sensors to be embedded in fabric, and previously filed a patent for the Apple Watch’s smart woven bands and buttons.
The company’s ongoing interest in smart fabrics suggests it is considering adding controls to a wide range of consumer items, including clothing.