#Research & Development

2025-11-06

Soft interfaces: Textile-integrated light switches, made possible by printable Liquid Metal Ink

A look at the demonstrator © WINT Design Lab / Michelle Mantel

A gentle tap on the knitted lampshade is enough to switch on the light. The lamp developed by Fraunhofer IZM in cooperation with WINT Design Lab works with a revolutionary conductive ink. Visitors can find out more and try the lamp themselves at the Berlin Science Week on November 1st and 2nd.

Lukas Werft and Christian Dils of the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM and their counterparts, Robin Hoske and Felix Rasehorn of WINT Design Lab, are coming to the Berlin Science Week to reveal their »Soft Interfaces« project to the waiting public. The aim of this innovative research is to develop textiles that can respond to touch and interact intelligently with their environment. The project’s magic lies in the newly developed and fully printable Liquid Metal Ink (LMI) made with Galinstan. The electrically conductive ink is covered in highly elastic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and can be laminated right into knitted textiles to create surfaces that are not just functionally usable, but also flexible, stretchable, pleasing to touch and pleasing to the eye.

Showcasing the technology with a special lamp

One great example that shows the capabilities of the technology is an interactive, 3D-printed lamp with a special textile lampshade. The clean lines of the 3D-printed lamp are not harmed by any intrusive switches or buttons. Only a subtle difference in the knitted pattern invites users to touch the flat lampshade, intuitively switching the light on or off. LEDs are integrated into the body of the lamp that can be dimmed or change their color in this way.

The lampshade is made from a knitted fabric stretched over a 3D-printed frame. It includes seven LMI sensor units for controlling the light intuitively. With a simple touch, the user can turn the light on or off, dim the light, or change the color temperature. The fabric itself becomes the user interface, opening up a whole new dimension of interactivity.

Innovative technology

All of this is made possible by the newly invented Liquid Metal Ink (LMI), an electrically conductive, but also environmentally friendly ink that works with Galinstan. This alloy of gallium, indium, and tin is mixed with a solution of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), resulting in the viscous LMI that can be printed onto elastic substrates to create structures that work like resistive strain sensors. Gentle pressure is enough, and the resistivity of the material changes, alerting the light controllers to switch on the lamp, dim the light, or change its color.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

The project was born from the close cooperation between design and material science that is supported by the Fraunhofer Network »Science, Art, Design. « Regular workshopsand collaborative work at Fraunhofer IZM and WINT Design Lab brought together technological know-how and product and interaction design insights into a streamlined tactile user experience.

Future opportunities

»Soft Interfaces« shows the great potential of liquid metal conductors for diverse applications in elastic fabrics, from novel control interfaces for smart home textiles, intuitively functional surfaces for vehicles, or wearable sensors to soft robotics. The technology is currently still limited to laboratory or prototype uses, but is very promising for scalable, energy-efficient products.

On November 1^st and 2^nd, 2025 researchers from the Fraunhofer network »Science, Art, Design« will be on site at the Museum of Natural History’s CAMPUS as part of the Berlin Science Week. For more information, visit: https://berlinscienceweek.com/programme/textilien-die-fuhlen-mit-intelligenten-oberflachen-zur-neuartigen-interaktion

Credits:

Technical Management: Fraunhofer IZM (Lukas Werft, Christian Dils, Carlos Wisbar, Raphael Mgeladse)

Design: WINT Design Lab (Felix Rasehorn, Robin Hoske, Julia Huhnholz)

Fabric Development: Case Studies (Laura Krauthausen, Konstantin Laschkow)

Video und Fotografie: Michelle Mantel

Project Funding: Fraunhofer Network »Science, Art, Design (WKD)«

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

From smart jackets to laser technology: Mona Neubaur explores Textile Factory 7.0

As part of her summer tour, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Mona Neubaur, visited Textilfabrik 7.0 in Mönchengladbach to experience the project’s innovations first-hand. Under the motto “smart and clean”, the visit focused on innovative technologies and sustainable alternatives for textile production - from smart jackets to the decolourisation of textiles using fungal cultures.

Outdoor Industry Association completes Clean Heat CoLab initiative

The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has completed its multi-year Clean Heat CoLab initiative, bringing together outdoor brands and technology experts to accelerate the adoption of electrified process heating in textile manufacturing. The collaboration focused on reducing emissions from thermal processes such as dyeing, washing and finishing, which remain among the most carbon-intensive stages of textile production.

Archroma wins ICIS Innovation Award for sulfur dye breakthrough

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, has won a coveted 2026 ICIS Innovation Award for Best Product Innovation from a Large Company for FiberColors®. These high-performance sulfur dyes are synthesized from pre-consumer wool waste, reducing industry reliance on petroleum-based inputs while contributing to the circular economy by upcycling unwanted wool that farmers would otherwise pay to dispose of.

Heberlein reinforces its commitment to the Chinese market

Heberlein, globally recognised as a leading provider of air interlacing and air texturing jets for synthetic filament yarns, is consolidating its success in the Chinese market with its APh- and APe-series for DTY applications. Particularly in the field of Air Covering, Heberlein technologies combine excellent quality with significant savings in compressed-air consumption. A new service hub in Shengze City underlines the company’s long-term commitment in the Chinese market.

RE&UP’s Next-Gen Cotton fibers power Zalando private label t-shirt collection crafted from innovative recycled textiles

RE&UP Recycling Technologies’ Next-Gen Cotton powers a new collection from Zalando’s private labels, marking a step forward in bringing textile-to-textile recycled fibers into commercial fashion production. Launching on Zalando in August, the collection comprises five t-shirts across YOURTURN by Zalando and Even&Odd by Zalando, made from a circular-knit fabric blending 80% organic cotton with 20% RE&UP Next-Gen Cotton — textile-to-textile recycled fiber produced from textile waste. This is the first time RE&UP's recycled fibers feature in Zalando's private label assortment.