HOCHSCHULE REUTLINGEN

Teaching and Research Centre Interactive Materials LFZ IMAT

The IMAT teaching and research centre at the TEXOVERSUM Faculty of Textiles develops materials and products that can actively communicate with users. The team consists of specialists from the fields of design, process engineering, textile technology, mechanical engineering and chemistry and works on interdisciplinary issues relating to mobility, lightweight construction, functionality, health, safety, comfort, the environment and recycling.

Main research areas

Our focus areas include process and product development in the field of smart textiles; the functionalisation of surfaces; the development of composite materials and moulded parts; the control of material and product personality; the enhancement of user-friendliness with regard to human-machine interfaces. They can be categorised under the following headings:

Range of services of our research

IMAT's services include customised offers in the areas of quality testing, product control, consulting, expert opinions and training. Our range of services for industry and research partners:

  • Publicly funded research and contract research
  • Knowledge transfer
  • Doctorates and Cooperative Doctorates
  • Cooperative development projects as part of project-orientated teaching (POL)

Research projects

Here you will find an exciting insight into our research projects

 

All research projects

 

 

InBiO

Interactive, bio-based surfaces for user-orientated car interiors

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SuperCaps

Textile supercapacitors based on carbon nanofibre nonwovens as flexible, lightweight and robust energy storage devices

 

MoTraScha

Development of a seat cover for physically disabled children, adolescents and young people, including the development and integration of sensors and actuators into the textile surface

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The smart textiles sector is considered a growth market. By 2021, for example, 238 million smart wearables are expected to be produced. These are dependent on a suitable energy supply, which is usually provided by conventional batteries/rechargeable batteries. Supercapacitors are long-lasting energy storage devices that are used, for example, where energy needs to be stored or released quickly. The electrodes of such supercapacitors can also be made from carbon nanofleeces. Based on this, textile, i.e. flexible, supercapacitors are to be developed that allow suitable integration of energy sources in a smart textile without having to resort to conventional batteries or accumulators.   Energy storage is an important topic for the future. For wearables, textile energy storage systems are a logical step towards greater integration of electronic components in a textile. However, energy-storing textiles are also very interesting for other areas. In the automotive sector, for example, usage scenarios are changing with increasing electrification and autonomous driving. This results in new requirements for the interior. Interior textiles are increasingly being equipped with electronic functions or could become interesting as energy storage devices. The research project includes the development of suitable carbon fibre nonwovens (project partner DTNW), the development of suitable separator nonwovens and the realisation of textile supercapacitors on this basis. The challenge here is not only to realise supercapacitors that are as conductive as possible, but also to transfer them into a textile product.

 

Funded by: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Duration:    01.03.2021 - 28.02.2023

 

Interdisciplinary development projects

Our partners can carry out cooperative development projects (POL) as part of the Master's programme. The Master's programme associated with IMAT is aimed at Bachelor's graduates from the fields of textile and clothing technology, design, engineering, computer science, chemistry and process engineering. Its project and research-orientated focus is intended to promote interdisciplinary thinking, exploit synergies and generate specialist depth.

ALL INTERDISCIPLINARY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

 

 

Artificial Robot Skin

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Sleep mask with integrated functions

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SCHLABB-E

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Textile Sensor Plattform

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Folding chair

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Knee angle measurement

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Motorbike protectors

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UV flower

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