Researchers Thread the World's First Touchscreen Into a Garment
The prototype uses 54 pixel fibres with 5,184 LEDs and can display images and video while staying washable and flexible, researchers said.
- On Oct 22, 2026, researchers at the National University of Singapore developed the world's first touchscreen built into a garment. The flexible, washable sleeve integrates 54 pixel fibres to display images and respond to touch.
- Assistant Professor Tural Khudiyev led the team in creating a programmable method to integrate more than 5,000 chips through over 20,000 electrical connections. This thermal drawing approach forms touch-sensitive and pixel layers within a thread just a millimetre thick.
- Featuring 96 LEDs per fibre, the prototype display refreshes at 30 frames per second across a 168 mm by 105 mm surface. The garment remains functional after 50 detergent washes and 1,000 bends around a 5 mm radius.
- Beyond visuals, the device connects wirelessly via Bluetooth to perform functions like running calculators and playing video. Integrated peripheral fibres track movement, magnetic north, and brightness, operating similarly to early smartphone capabilities.
- Published in Nature on Oct 21, 2026, the study suggests this technology could evolve to support personalized Healthcare and AI-driven assistance. Future iterations aim for higher resolution and on-device intelligence, transforming apparel into a natural digital interface.
14 Articles
14 Articles
A group of researchers have managed to integrate a touch screen directly into a garment, without resorting to rigid panels. The fabric can display images, play videos and detect fingerstrokes. In addition, it has overcome dozens of washings, which brings this technology closer to its possible everyday use.
Researchers from the National University of Singapore developed a flexible touch screen embedded in the fabric of clothing, which allows image display, video clips and interaction with digital content, along with the measurement of some health indicators, in a step that may contribute to the development of smart clothing that combines daily use with electronic techniques.
A touchscreen you can wear? Indian researcher helps develop a washable smart sleeve
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed a touchscreen sleeve that can play videos, respond to touch and survive 50 machine washes. Indian researcher Swetika Chaturvedi is part of the team behind the invention.
World-first touchscreen built into garment showcased, displays videos
The world's first touchscreen built into a garment displays images and video, responds to finger presses and connects wirelessly to other devices, yet stays as washable, breathable and flexible as ordinary clothing.
Researchers thread the world's first touchscreen into a garment
Researchers at the National University of Singapore's College of Design and Engineering (CDE) have developed a fiber that functions as pixels and senses touch at the same time, integrating 54 of them into a sleeve to create ...
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