纱线里面藏芯片：穿上这件衣，天网恢恢兮

近，诺丁汉特伦特大学的研究人员提出了一种将射频识别芯片嵌入到用来制作衣服或织物的纱线中的方法。

来自该校艺术与设计学院先进材料研究组的教授Tilak Dias表示，嵌入的芯片是无法被肉眼看见的，他已经针对该技术申请专利。

据悉，这项技术被认为可用于商店安全，同时有助于慈善机构衣服捐赠在世界各地的监管工作。

英文原文：

Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have come up with a way of embedding RFID chips in yarns which can then be woven or knitted to make fabrics for clothing.

Professor Tilak Dias of the Advanced Textiles Research Group of the School of Art & Design, claims that the embedded chips “cannot be seen in situ by the naked eye”.

He has patented the technology, which he believes has the potential to be used for security in stores and also for clothes that are donated to charity to be tracked around the world.

Professor Dias writes:

“If an RFID chip is embedded into a shirt, for instance, it will provide a much greater level of anti-theft and anti-counterfeiting protection. As people will not be able to easily identify where a chip is located in a garment, shoplifters won’t be able to cut it off to steal it.”

Sealed inside resin micro pods within yarns, the fabrics incorporating RFIDs can be run through washing machines and tumble driers without incurring any damage.

Short thin copper strands attached to the either side of the chips are embedded in yarn fibres and act as an antenna.

Measuring one millimetre by 0.5 millimetre in size, when bought in bulk the chips can cost only a few pence each.

Similar to the RFID devices now used in bank cards for contactless payments, the tiny chips can contain all the information which is usually communicated via barcode.

“In relation to recycled clothes, charities would be able to sort garments much quicker – perhaps even in an automated way – to identify the types of clothing that are suitable for different countries according to their requirements,” said Professor Dias.

Professor Tilak Dias, Stephen Lorimer from Sustainable Society Network+, Dr Colin Cork of Nottingham Trent University and Anura Rathnayake

Professor Dias also believes that in the distant future this technology could be used in conjunction with smart washing machines to warn consumers of mixed colours or inappropriate temperatures.

Research fellow Anura Rathnayake, who is involved with the project, added:

“In the long run this technology could be of tremendous benefit to charitable organisations which spend a great deal of time directing donated clothing to people around the world.”

The study was supported by a £50,000 grant from Sustainable Society Network+, as part of the RCUK Digital Economy Theme