exNAWSTs

exNAWSTs are a class of textile-based sensor networks that integrate nanoscale active materials into woven fabrics to provide distributed sensing capabilities across a garment or textile surface. The acronym stands for external Nano-augmented Woven Sensor Textiles.

Technologies and construction: They rely on functional fibers embedded with nanoscale materials such as carbon nanotubes or graphene, nano-enhanced coatings, printed electrodes, and compact edge electronics. Fabrication methods include polymer coatings, electrospinning, yarn-level functionalization, and embroidery. Sensing modalities encompass temperature, strain, humidity, chemical vapors, and low-power electromagnetic signals, enabling multimodal data collection from a single fabric.

Applications: exNAWSTs find use in health and fitness monitoring, rehabilitation wearables, protective clothing for industrial workers, performance sports textiles, and environmental sensing integrated into uniforms or gear. The ability to monitor multiple parameters in real time makes them suitable for applications that require unobtrusive, continuous data streams.

Advantages and challenges: exNAWSTs offer lightweight, conformal, and potentially scalable sensing embedded in clothing, with opportunities for continuous monitoring and feedback. Challenges include durability of nanomaterials during washing and wear, lack of universal standards across manufacturers, power management for the sensors, data privacy, and regulatory considerations. Ongoing research addresses integration approaches, material stability, and cost reduction to enable widespread adoption.

See also: smart textiles, wearable electronics, nano-enabled sensors.