A kirigami-enabled electrochromic wearable variable-emittance device for energy-efficient adaptive personal...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Wearable Technology
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Traditional clothing offers limited thermal insulation, failing to meet diverse thermal comfort needs.
• Existing active thermal management systems are hindered by high energy demands and bulky designs.
• A need exists for efficient, controllable, and personalized thermal regulation solutions in wearable technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a wearable variable-emittance (WeaVE) device for tunable radiative heat transfer.
• To enable personalized thermoregulation with high energy efficiency and on-demand controllability.
• To bridge the gap between energy efficiency and controllability in personal thermal management.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an electrically driven, kirigami-enabled electrochromic thin-film device (WeaVE).
• Utilizing kirigami design for stretchability, conformal deformation, and mechanical stability.
• Implementing electronic control for programmable personalized thermoregulation.

Main Results:

• The WeaVE device effectively tunes mid-infrared thermal radiation heat loss.
• Demonstrated excellent mechanical stability over 1,000 cycles.
• Achieved a 4.9°C expansion of the thermal comfort zone with low energy input (<5.58 mJ/cm² per switching).

Conclusions:

• The WeaVE device offers a novel approach to personal thermal management with significant energy savings.
• Its nonvolatile characteristic and on-demand controllability present vast opportunities for next-generation smart fabrics.
• This technology paves the way for advanced wearable solutions for personalized thermal comfort.