Real-Time Information-Variable Invisible Barcode Comprising Freely Deformable Infrared-Emitting Yarns

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Traditional monochrome barcodes have limited data capacity and cannot be applied to textiles.
• Updating information on current barcodes requires replacement, hindering dynamic data management.
• Existing barcode technology lacks aesthetic integration into wearable products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the performance of wearable, invisible infrared (IR)-emitting barcodes.
• To overcome the limitations of monochrome barcodes in data capacity and applicability to textiles.
• To create a sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, and updatable barcode solution.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of IR-emitting barcodes using twisted yarns of elastic/conductive spandex fibers.
• Utilizing selective IR emission from yarns controlled by applied voltage for information encoding.
• Employing an IR camera for barcode recognition, ensuring invisibility to the human eye.

Main Results:

• The IR barcodes demonstrated the ability to store higher volumes of information compared to monochrome barcodes with fewer elements.
• Information encoded in the IR barcodes could be actively updated in real-time by controlling yarn voltage.
• The developed barcodes were invisible to the human eye, aesthetically integrated, and applicable to fabric materials.

Conclusions:

• Wearable invisible IR-emitting barcodes offer a novel solution for dynamic information management in textiles.
• This technology overcomes the data limitations and aesthetic constraints of traditional barcodes.
• The IR barcode system promises real-time information fluidity and broad application in smart textiles and wearable devices.