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A new development in wearable technology may redefine what it means for clothing to be “smart”—and it does so without electronics. Researchers at ETH Zurich have unveiled a textile-based sensing system that uses sound waves to detect movement, touch, and pressure. This innovation, called SonoTextiles, turns everyday fabrics into responsive surfaces that can track breathing, translate hand gestures, and monitor posture.
Unlike traditional wearable sensors that rely on electronic components, this system uses glass microfibers woven directly into the fabric. At one end of each fiber is a tiny transmitter that emits high-frequency acoustic signals—typically in the ultrasonic range, around 100 kilohertz—while a receiver at the other end captures changes in those waves.
When a fiber bends or stretches, as it would during breathing or motion, the acoustic wave is altered. The receiver detects these distortions in real time. Because each fiber operates at a unique frequency, the system can pinpoint exactly where the fabric was touched or moved without requiring complex data processing or multiple sensors.
The simplicity and scalability of this design make it especially promising. According to Interesting Engineering, some examples of using SonoTextiles in wearable forms including a smart T-shirt and gloves. The T-shirt could monitor respiratory activity or injury, while the gloves can interpret hand gestures—an application that could enable real-time translation of sign language into text or speech.
This approach also opens new possibilities for sports performance monitoring, rehabilitation, posture correction, and even extended reality systems that rely on natural movement tracking.
One of the key advantages of the SonoTextile system is its low energy demand and minimal need for computing power, making it ideal for mobile applications. In the future, it could transmit data directly to smartphones or computers, enabling seamless feedback loops between the body and digital devices.
Although glass fibers offer excellent signal quality, researchers are exploring the use of metals for added durability in everyday wear. Upcoming research will focus on improving textile robustness and integrating electronics.
The findings, published in Nature Electronics, point to a future where clothing is more than wearable—it’s communicative.
