Wearables and Fabric-Based Research, Innovation and Technology Development for Canadian SMEs

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Centennial College, Sheridan College, Humber College and the KITE Institute of the University Health Network will undertake applied research projects to support SMEs developing products for the global health e-textile market, and catalyse innovation in Canada's growing e-textiles industry. The colleges are members of FIBRE (FabrIc-Based REsearch), the world's first multi-institution research, development, and commercialization platform for textile computing technologies led by KITE, the world leader for rehabilitation science. E-textiles integrate digital components such as biometric sensors, actuators, minicomputers, circuits and electronics into fabrics, giving them added value such as data collection, energy transfer and communication. E-textiles can monitor and communicate blood pressure, heart rate, perspiration, and temperature, and collect data to inform treatment, promote self-management and deliver therapies to reduce disease progression, medical visits and hospitalization. They will enable virtual care outside of the hospital, which will be invaluable to the elderly and people living with chronic illness, disabilities or neurological disorders.SMEs have requested support with issues facing the e-textile industry in Canada, including sensors and actuators for unique applications, flexible components, durable low-cost products, energy harvesting, aesthetics, eco-design, data safety and security, and reliable data measurement systems. Sectoral challenges will be addressed in 9 projects with 9 partners under 4 applied research themes:1. Sensor & Actuator Fabrication - Smart Textile Development2. Design Optimization, Exploration and Advanced Manufacturing - Product Development3. Data Acquisition & Analytics, Machine Learning (ML) and Human-Computer Interaction4. Validation and Safety Testing in Clinical SettingsA multidisciplinary team with the range of expertise needed for e-textile development will design, fabricate, test and validate novel technologies, including digital technologies, electronics, data analytics, engineering (mechanical, computer, biomedical), rapid prototyping, hardware and software development, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, sensor integration, clinical trials, regulatory requirements, manufacturing and commercialization. Partners have the expertise, manufacturing capacity and channels to take the project outcomes to market, leading to jobs, revenue, and health, social and economic benefits to Canada.