What is Luminous Fabric?
Luminous fabric (a.k.a. photoluminescent fabric) is a new type of textile that is based on either fiber optics or LEDs. It uses low-voltage (3 to 5 volt) batteries in order to give off a pleasant glow in any imaginable color. Different patterns and pictures can also be embedded within the fabric.
This fabric is different from neon or glow-in-the-dark fabric as it is subtler and thus better suited to various design schemes. People are now coming up with creative ways in which to use this fabric, which will determine how popular this fabric will eventually become. Some ideas that people have come up with already include:
- Pillows
- Table placemats and cloths
- Bedspreads
- Curtains
- Paintings
It could also be used in things, other than what we normally think of in terms of fabric, such as:
- Night clubs
- Temporary street signs
- Parties
- As decorations, especially for Halloween but also for Christmas too
Inventors are also working to embed sensors within the luminous fabric. This will allow the fabric to respond to cues in the environment such as temperature, moisture or wind. It is unimaginable what this could lead to. Maybe such things as:
- A room that is covered with temperature-sensitive material
- A blouse that will respond to the vibrations that your heart makes
Clearly, there is a huge potential for this fabric. In years to come we will be seeing it in homes, restaurants and clubs. We will probably be surprised to see how it will be used though.
Luminous fabric, or photoluminescent fabric, is a new type of textile based on either fiber optics or LEDs. This fabric is currently (as of April 2007) sold by only three companies: Luminex, headquartered in Italy, LumiGram, a French luxuries company, and Philips, the global electronics giant. The luminous fabric uses low-voltage (3-5 V) batteries to provide a pleasant glow in any color. Specific designs can produce varying intensities, allowing patterns or pictures to be embedded in the fabric. Luminous fabric is a good example of a product that is just starting out, and observing its adoption will be an interesting case study in product economics and sociology. Since fiber optics were invented in the 1970s, companies have experimented with the idea of luminous fabrics, but it’s not until now – the late 00s – that the technology is truly workable. This is thanks to advances in optics and materials science. Different approaches are being used: Luminex and LumiGram are going with fiber
