Google's & Levi's Project Jacquard Weaves Technology in Textiles

Tech-giant Google and leading jeans maker LEVI'S are partnering together to change the theme of wearable technology forever. They have come up with a brilliant crazy idea of making touch screen clothing. Google is now like woven in every part of our life and it’s launching a new project to weave itself in our clothing.

This project aims at setting up touch panels into traditional fabric by using conventional fabric manufacturing process. LEVI'S STRAUSS and Co. has signed a partnership with Google on 28 May and introduced their new project jacquard that turns clothes into wearable.

Project Details: 

This research project is named “PROJECT JACQUARD” after JOSEPH MARIE JACQUARD, the inventor of jacquard loom as jacquard looms are used to produce this fabric. This project work will be performed by a research team of Google’s Advanced Technologies and Project (ATAP) lab and Levis is handling the design solutions.

Google's jacquard project with LEVI'S

Spinning of yarn: 

A special type of conductive yarn which is touch sensitive, made from thin, metallic alloys combined with materials like silk, cotton, polyester is used in this process. This is more like braided core yarn in which thin metal alloys works as the core. This yarn comes in various colors and thickness.

Weaving process: 

The idea of weaving is simple; just insert the conductive yarn as warp and weft in the traditional jacquard production process and a touch and gesture sensitive area will be woven in the fabric. Moreover, a large interactive surface can be created by weaving of sensor grids through the fabric. This weaving process is done by using jacquard loom where a huge range of design is possible.

Insertion of electronic chip: 

It is mandatory to connect the conductive yarn with tiny electronic chip to pass the signal. ATAP research team has developed a small chip and gestures can easily be inferred from the touch panel by using machine learning algorithms as people move their fingers over the area.

Prototype and market plan: 

ATAP research team has showed off a jacket made with jacquard design on the debut of the program which can work as a touchpad. IT contains pressure sensor and can detect hovering motion. Google wants to bring this technology in the market by 2016 and the research team is working with creative fashion industry Levis. It will create a great scope for the creative designers for developing touch sensitive features in their products.

Implementation or use of this technology: 

A simple question arises after all in our minds, what is the use of this technology? What is the point? How it can ease our daily life activities?

The head of the project jacquard, IVAN POUPYREV has said, it’s not like a technical challenge but, the challenge is figuring out what people want and presentation of the simple but easy application of this technology.

• It can be used to control lights of the flat; one quick swipe or tap on the cloth can easily turn the lights on or off, change the color settings, and change the brightness. 

• A swipe is enough to dial a contact on your phone, play a song, and change the playlist and lot more. Runners will likely love to pause or change the track while running by a simple swipe on a coat sleeve.

There can be thousands of uses besides these two and this project is like a blank canvas for designers and developers. They can easily diversify the use of this technology and of course without hampering the feel and comfort of the cloth.

Reported by-
Tanvir Hossain
Reporter of Textile Tribune
Shahid Aziz Hall
Bangladesh University of Textiles
Email: tanviranikbutex@gmail.com

8:54 AM