A sensing and display system on wearable fabric based on patterned silver nanowires

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are widely used in the field of flexible electronics, but there are still challenges in patterning silver nanowires. In this work, we present a simple and cost-effective method to obtain patterned AgNWs on fabrics. A 3×3 LEDs array based on patterned AgNWs electrode can work stably during stretching, bending, twisting and folding. The same patterned method is used to fabricate AgNWs based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) and alternating current electroluminescence (ACEL) devices on fabrics. The TENG unit device can sense finger press and has sufficient durability. The 3×3 TENGs array are fabricated to sense and display the finger movement and control the mechanical hand to perform specified gestures. In addition, the TENGs array and the ACEL seven-segment display device are integrated on the same fabric, forming a sensing and display system on fabric. The smart system can capture finger movement information and display it on the ACEL device in real time, demonstrating the potential of the smart fabric platform for future wearable applications.