MIT’s Wonder Fabric Can Detect and Create Sound and Electricity
By Chris Weiss
It looks like the job of mob goons is going to get much harder in the future. MIT has recently developed an experimental fabric that is capable of sensing and playing sound. The fabric is crafted from a conductive plastic ordinarily used for microphones. The fibers change shape when sound waves or electricity are applied and can be used to convert one to the other. The material can also work in reverse, creating electricity from fabric movement.
It sounds highly rough and experimental at the moment, but if the work progresses we could see wearable microphone shirts in the future. Researchers involved in the project also cite a variety of other uses including biological sensors and nets that could monitor the movement of the ocean. I could also see them being quite useful in speakers and other musical equipment.
For now, you’ll have to continue using hard equipment for such purposes. Read a full summary of the work at MIT for more of the science behind it. [via Dvice]
