Herbert Shea News Today

Fiber pumps make it possible to integrate fluidics into wearable technology, eliminating the need for external pumping technology.

EPFL researchers have developed fiber-like pumps that allow high-pressure fluidic circuits to be woven into textiles without an external pump. Soft supportive exoskeletons, thermoregulatory clothing, and immersive haptics can therefore be powered from pumps sewn into the fabric of the devices themselves.

Research sometimes needs a sacrifice. Empa researcher Patrick Danner has just made one – and filmed it. "When I applied a good 2000 volts to the sample, it caught fire," he reports drily in the debriefing. The mishap is clearly visible in his cell phone video: First it smokes, then flames erupt from the experimentally created polymer.