Feasibility Study for cooperation with US firms on USB-type connector for Smart Textiles

**智能纺织品联盟建议进行一项可行性研究，以了解为智能纺织品的USB型连接器制定标准(一种受版权保护的工业规范，制造商可以在获得许可的情况下使用)的潜力。为了实现这一目标，它将与德国的专业研究人员合作，与美国的行业领导者会面并寻求支持。*背景**智能纺织品或电子纺织品是能够感知和响应刺激的布料或纱线。我们一生中98%的时间都在与布料接触：智能纺织品技术的存在，可以使我们的衣服和家具带来额外的好处。智能纺织品的主要应用包括医疗保健和福利、时尚、汽车和健身。已经准备好的智能纺织品提供了突破性的应用：捕捉动能为设备充电；跟踪健康的服装；点亮和改变颜色的衣服。苹果、微软和三星已经获得了多项智能纺织品专利。智能纺织品作为一个行业将在2014-2023年增长10倍，届时预计价值77亿美元(透明市场研究)。它将是物联网增长的核心，据IDC预测，到2025年，物联网设备将达到416亿。这是一个快速增长的市场。连接器是将电子设备连接到织物上以使其能够与外部设备(例如电话)通信的关键部件。没有通用的连接器组件，所以开发人员自己设计或使用不同的专有版本：这阻碍了开发。**可行性研究**可行性研究将评估、研究和构建网络，以了解STA与一家或多家美国科技公司之间的合作潜力。STA将进行自己的分析和规划，并与德国领先的研究机构Fraunhofer合作，准备会面所需的材料，并寻求其他合作伙伴的支持。最终目标是STA确保一家或多家美国技术公司的兴趣，这些公司可以与STA合作开发连接器。寻求他们的支持和贡献的过程是至关重要的，因为打开全球市场需要他们的支持。最终STA的目标是在英国创建一个智能纺织品的全球中心，鼓励英国时尚和科技行业之间有价值的发展，并创造全球市场和合作。这项工作是为支持智能纺织品部门发挥其潜力而确定的一系列发展的早期步骤。

**Smart Textiles Alliance proposes a Feasibility Study to understand the potential for creating a standard (a copyrighted industrial specification which can be used by manufacturers under license) for a USB-type connector for smart textiles. To achieve this it will collaborate with specialist researchers in Germany to meet and seek the backing of industry leaders in the USA.****Background**Smart Textiles or e-textiles are cloths or yarns which can sense and respond to stimuli. We spend 98% of our lives in contact with cloth: Smart Textile technology exists and can enable our clothes and furnishings to deliver additional benefits. Key applications for smart textiles include healthcare and wellbeing, fashion, automotive and fitness.Already Smart Textiles offer breakthrough applications: kinetic energy capture to recharge equipment; garments to track health, clothes that light up and change colour. Apple, Microsoft and Samsung have taken out multiple Smart Textiles patents.Smart Textiles as a sector will have grown tenfold 2014-2023 by which time it is forecast to be worth $7.7bn (Transparency Market Research). It will be central to growth of the Internet of Things, forecast by IDC to reach 41.6bn devices by 2025\. It is a fast-growing market._Connectors_ are the critical component that attaches electronics to the fabric so it can communicate with an external device (say, a phone). There is no universal connector component, so developers design their own or use diverse proprietary versions: this holds back development.**The Feasibility Study**The Feasibility Study will evaluate, research and build networks to understand the potential for collaboration between STA and one or more US-based technology companies. STA will undertake its own analysis and planning, and partner with Fraunhofer, a leading German research institute, to prepare the materials needed to meet and seek the backing of other partners.The end-goal is for STA to secure the interest of one or more of the US technology firms which could partner with STA on the development of the connector. The process of seeking their support and contribution is vital, since their backing would be needed to open up the global market.Ultimately STA's aim is to create a global hub for Smart Textiles in the UK, encouraging valuable developments between the UK's fashion and tech sectors, and creating global markets and collaborations. This work represents an early step in an identified series of developments to support the Smart Textile sector to develop to its potential.