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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
A gentle tap on the knitted lampshade is enough to switch on the light. The lamp developed by Fraunhofer IZM in cooperation with WINT Design Lab works with a revolutionary conductive ink. Visitors can find out more and try the lamp themselves at the Berlin Science Week on November 1st and 2nd.
Lukas Werft and Christian Dils of the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM and their counterparts, Robin Hoske and Felix Rasehorn of WINT Design Lab, are coming to the Berlin Science Week to reveal their »Soft Interfaces« project to the waiting public. The aim of this innovative research is to develop textiles that can respond to touch and interact intelligently with their environment.
The project’s magic lies in the newly developed and fully printable Liquid Metal Ink (LMI) made with Galinstan. The electrically conductive ink is covered in highly elastic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and can be laminated right into knitted textiles to create surfaces that are not just functionally usable, but also flexible, stretchable, pleasing to touch and pleasing to the eye.
𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐩
One great example that shows the capabilities of the technology is an interactive, 3D-printed lamp with a special textile lampshade. The clean lines of the 3D-printed lamp are not harmed by any intrusive switches or buttons. Only a subtle difference in the knitted pattern invites users to touch the flat lampshade, intuitively switching the light on or off. LEDs are integrated into the body of the lamp that can be dimmed or change their color in this way.
The lampshade is made from a knitted fabric stretched over a 3D-printed frame. It includes seven LMI sensor units for controlling the light intuitively. With a simple touch, the user can turn the light on or off, dim the light, or change the color temperature. The fabric itself becomes the user interface, opening up a whole new dimension of interactivity.
𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲
All of this is made possible by the newly invented Liquid Metal Ink (LMI), an electrically conductive, but also environmentally friendly ink that works with Galinstan. This alloy of gallium, indium, and tin is mixed with a solution of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), resulting in the viscous LMI that can be printed onto elastic substrates to create structures that work like resistive strain sensors. Gentle pressure is enough, and the resistivity of the material changes, alerting the light controllers to switch on the lamp, dim the light, or change its color.
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
The project was born from the close cooperation between design and material science that is supported by the Fraunhofer Network »Science, Art, Design. « Regular workshops and collaborative work at Fraunhofer IZM and WINT Design Lab brought together technological know-how and product and interaction design insights into a streamlined tactile user experience.
𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬
»Soft Interfaces« shows the great potential of liquid metal conductors for diverse applications in elastic fabrics, from novel control interfaces for smart home textiles, intuitively functional surfaces for vehicles, or wearable sensors to soft robotics. The technology is currently still limited to laboratory or prototype uses, but is very promising for scalable, energy-efficient products.
On November 1st and 2nd, 2025 researchers from the Fraunhofer network »Science, Art, Design« will be on site at the Museum of Natural History’s CAMPUS as part of the Berlin Science Week. For more information, visit: https://berlinscienceweek.com/programme/textilien-die-fuhlen-mit-intelligenten-o...
𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐬:
Technical Management: Fraunhofer IZM (Lukas Werft, Christian Dils, Carlos Wisbar, Raphael Mgeladse)
Design: WINT Design Lab (Felix Rasehorn, Robin Hoske, Julia Huhnholz)
Fabric Development: Case Studies (Laura Krauthausen, Konstantin Laschkow)
Video und Fotografie: Michelle Mantel
Project Funding: Fraunhofer Network »Science, Art, Design (WKD)«
Technical contact
Lukas Werft l lukas.werft@izm.fraunhofer.de l Phone +49 (0)30 46403-237 l
Fraunhofer Institute for Reliabilty and Microintegration IZM l Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25 l 13355 Berlin l www.izm.fraunhofer.de
https://www.izm.fraunhofer.de/en/news_events/tech_news/soft-interfaces.html
https://berlinscienceweek.com/
A look at the demonstrator.
Quelle: Michelle Mantel
Copyright: © WINT Design Lab
Microscopic images reveal the Galinstan droplets enveloped in a thin TPU film. The resulting structu ...
Copyright: Fraunhofer IZM
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A look at the demonstrator.
Quelle: Michelle Mantel
Copyright: © WINT Design Lab
Microscopic images reveal the Galinstan droplets enveloped in a thin TPU film. The resulting structu ...
Copyright: Fraunhofer IZM
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