Traditional smart textiles often rely on electronics, making them bulky and difficult to maintain. But researchers in this project have created innovative yarns embedded with molecules and nanoparticles that react directly to light. This means textiles can change color, move, or activate functions without any electronics.

“We’ve created materials that mimic natural changes, like color shifts and movement,” said Delia Dumitrescu, Professor of Design with focus on developing innovations within smart textiles at the Swedish School of Textiles.

The project brought together expertise from material science, design, and fine art. The results include methods for designing environmentally conscious smart textiles – from the material and yarn level to finished products. A material and artefact library showcases how textiles can interact with their surroundings, such as changing color in response to UV spectrum in the natural light.

This opens up new ways of thinking about garment lifespan, seasonal use, and emotional durability. The textiles can visually reflect sunlight exposure, weather changes, or environmental conditions – potentially increasing awareness of climate change and our daily behavior providing new paths for a more sustainable way of living.

The project demonstrated that light-powered textiles could be used in everything from sun-based garment cleaning and UV sensors to communicate sun exposure through garments, light-collecting tents and adaptive window shades. The goal was to build a Nordic network that strengthens the region’s textile industry and promotes collaboration between researchers, engineers, designers, and artists.

The project was coordinated by Aalto University, Finland, and carried out in collaboration with the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås, Sweden, the University of Turku, Finland, VIA University College, Denmark, and the Iceland University of the Arts.

Read more about the project Beyond e-textiles