Fiber batteries promise ‘smart clothing’ but two obstacles stand in the way
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 3-Apr-2026 12:16 ET (3-Apr-2026 16:16 GMT/UTC)
Researchers from North Carolina State University analyzed the state of smart textile research, and found that fiber battery encapsulation and mathematical modeling must improve in order for the technology to be useable.
Researchers looked at five encapsulation techniques, from traditional polymeric tubes to using liquid metal to keep out oxygen and water. Each had benefits and drawbacks, but none had all of the qualities needed for viability in everyday clothing. They also found that existing mathematical models struggle to accurately predict the effect of fiber length on a battery's output.
Scientists concluded that expertise from the packaging and electrochemical industries could help solve these problems, leading to fiber batteries capable of being woven into clothing.
Due to cheaper cost, ease of production and environmental benefits, battery makers and electric vehicle manufacturers have long pursued dry processes for building electrodes. A new dry-processed electrode architecture from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) demonstrates a fourth benefit: better performance.
Traumatic injury is the third leading cause of death in the state of Texas, surpassing strokes, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A massive number of these deaths are the result of uncontrolled bleeding. Researchers at Texas A&M University are developing a suite of injectable hemostatic bandages — biomedical materials that stop bleeding and promote blood to clot faster. Their research is specifically targeting deep internal bleeding where traditional methods like compression are not possible.
User context in long-term interaction data increases the likelihood an LLM will become overly agreeable or begin to mirror the user’s viewpoints. This phenomenon, known as sycophancy, can harm a model’s accuracy or create an echo chamber that can.