Testing intelligent textiles

Intelligent textiles represent the next generation of fibers, fabrics and products made from them. In the last decade, research and development in smart/intelligent materials and structures have led to the birth of a wide range of novel smart products in aerospace, transportation, telecommunications, homes, buildings and infrastructures. New methods of testing and evaluation procedures for testing intelligent and smart fabrics are becoming extremely important in the industry as the future lies in these textiles. In this chapter the principles and some of the important test methods for testing intelligent fabrics, such as shape memory fabrics, phase change materials and self-cleaning fabrics, are explained.