Infineon Weaves Network into Textiles

Researchers from Infineon Technologies have developed a way to weave a self-organizing network of chips into large textile surfaces such as carpeting or tent cloth fabrics. Microelectronics modules are embedded in the textile structure in the form of a checkerboard. Each chip is connected to its four adjacent "neighbors" by electrically conductive threads, which creates a network that enables the flow of information. In addition to the sensor functionality, the fabric can be equipped with tiny light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide directional guidance or serve as advertising material. Infineon envisions that such network fabric could be used as a motion sensor or fire alarm, or to control burglar alarm and air-conditioning systems.
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