A new type of fabric could change the way smart clothing is made. The space cloth is the first non-woven material made from yarn with strong potential for use as a smart textile due to its unique structure, with space to encase copper wiring, LEDs and more. Because of the material’s linear channels of yarn, it has great potential to be used as a smart textile. In particular, it lends itself well to being embedded with microcapsules containing medication or scent, to either help deliver drugs to specific parts of the body or to create antibacterial and aromatic clothing.

The material has potential in other applications as well, such as wall coverings, in addition to clothing. It is also not quite as challenging to make as other knit or weave fabrics, which makes its production easier on the environment.

The space cloth is called Zephlinear, comes from the merger of two words, zephyr and linear. It was given the nickname space cloth due to its appearance and its e-textile capabilities. The material is strongest and most efficient when created from natural yarns, such as 100 per cent wool, hair or wool and silk mixtures, but it can also be made from synthetic yarns.