Explore the vast range of titles available.

In the intelligent era, the textile technique is a high efficiency, mature and simple manufacturing solution capable of fabricating fully flexible wearable devices. However, the external circuit with its integration and comfort limitations cannot satisfy the requirements of intelligent wearable and portable devices. This study presents an industrialized production method to fabricate core–shell structure conductive yarn for direct textile use, prepared by the high-speed sirospun technique. Both integration and flexibility are significantly improved over previous works. Combining sirospun conductive yarn (SSCY) and the intarsia technique can provide the SSCY seamless and convenient embedded knitted circuit (SSCY-EKC) to form a full textile electrical element as the channel of power and signals transmission, allowing for a stable resistance change and wide strain range for meeting practical applications. SSCY based on the triboelectric nanogenerator (SSCY-TENG) can be designed as a caution carpet with attractive design and good washability for a self-powered sensor that recognizes human motions. Furthermore, intrinsic textile properties such as washability, softness, and comfort remained. With benefits such as excellent extension, fitting, and stretchability, the SSCY-EKC used herein can realize a fully flexible electrical textile with a high potential for physical detection, body gesture recognition, apparel fashion, and decoration. Graphical abstract

Wood decayed and colored by fungi, colloquially known as ‘spalted wood’, has been a source of art and folklore across numerous cultures. From intarsia and marquetry in Italy and Germany to woodturning in the U.S. and carving and mythology in Chile, the uses of, and stories about, spalted wood are explored, as well as how those have shaped their surrounding cultures as well as modern science.

The recent advancements in smart textiles have led to a surge in the use of textile-based sensors to detect various signals, including touch, pressure, body temperature, humidity, and so on. Due to their flexibility, bendability, and lightweight design, all of which make them perfect for a variety of flexible sensing systems. Herein, a capacitive touch sensor consisting of all textile components has been architected through computerized machine knitting technology. The prototype has been realized with the double knit intarsia knitting technique, which enables seamless integration of touch sensing textiles onto non-conductive base fabric during single knitting operations. This simple and easily embedded touch interface enables users to experience soft and ultraflexible electronic textiles with high responsive (response time ~80 ms) sensing capabilities. High reproducibility and repeatability were observed with the manufactured capacitive touch sensor, with negligible change in capacitance within 500 touched-untouched cycles. The sensor also demonstrates outstanding flexibility against various mechanical deformations, that is, twisting, grasping, folding, and pinching. As a proof of concept, a machine knitted touch keyboard, numpad, wristband, and soft switch have been demonstrated as capacitive touch sensing user interfaces for human-machine interaction.

Wearable electronic knitwear has recently been gaining the attention of both researchers and industrial sectors. Combining knitting technology with electronics may become a dominant trend in the future. There is a need to develop an analytical equation to model the complex resistive network for a given set of conductive stitches in order to meet the high demand for rapid prototype designing of smart knitwear. Currently, a matrix equation with high dimensionality must be solved, which is impractical and requires high computational power, retarding the growing demand for smart knitwear design with resistive routing paths. The routing network embedded into smart knitwear with conductive knitting stitches is a critical element for connecting different electronic devices, such as textile electrodes, sensors, and heaters. The knitting stitch made with conductive yarn is one of the essential building blocks for textile-based circuitry and controls the power distribution in the wearable electronic knitwear. Knitwear exhibits high flexibility and comfort, making it a good candidate for applications in sports, medicine, and other areas that incorporate electronic devices. Textile-based electronic circuits have become a key element in recent developments in intelligent textiles. Different manufacturing processes for textile-based electronic circuits have been reported, such as embroidery, weaving, printing, and coating. However, few studies have given an analytical equation and a systematic approach to obtaining the equivalent resistance of the conductive knitting stitch network. This paper describes work done to derive analytical equations to model a given resistive network of conductive knitting stitches, built with conductive yarn, and based on the common intarsia knitting and jersey knitting techniques. The experimental results revealed that the derived equations could accurately model the equivalent electrical resistance of conductive stitches of knitwear and could greatly simplify existing models.

The sheer magnitude of decay in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, where I live, is thrilling and sometimes overwhelming. Life in these forests involves soggy leaves, soggy children, and that ever-present smell of decomposing vegetative matter. Children love to crawl around on the forest floor for treasures. And who hasn't enjoyed kicking apart a soundly rotten log, watching the dry bits scatter, and heiring the mushy bits make that delightful squelching sound? Pigments

The Nederlands Clavichord Genootschap hosted an International jubilee symposium in the historical center of Leiden on 28-30 Sep 2012 on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Under the title 'Extraordinary clavichord sounds--amazing variations in clavichord building and playing' about 50 participants experienced a choice of exceptional highlights including workshops, clavichord concerts, talks, a presentation of more than 20 clavichords made by renowned instrument-makers, a dinner and a city walk through the picturesque old university town Leiden. Rembrandt van Rijn was born and lived here and Gerrit Dou painted 'A young lady playing a clavichord'. The concerts took place in the Lokhorstkerk and the other activities including coffee and tea breaks in a nearby building, the Ars Aemula Naturae (a painters' society); both buildings date from the 17th century. Here, Demel discusses the different activities during the International jubilee symposium.

Works of art and literature commissioned for the Montefeltro court in Urbino and executed by Joos Van Gent, Pedro Berruguete, Baldassare Castiglione and Martino Filetico, use conversation, play, and wit to commemorate humanist interests and court practice. While these and other works celebrate Federico da Montefeltro's court, the illusionism of the intarsia panels in his studiolo do more than amuse. The objects and the uomini illustri portraits that fill the studiolo tease the visitor to the space and point to systems of surveillance and judgment as familiar to the Renaissance courtier as they were to the prisoner in the panopticon.

Presents results of a close study of the double-sided gamesboard in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, arguably the most beautiful of the handful to survive from the 15th century. A luxurious object designed for chess and tables (precursor of modern backgammon), the board has a hybrid character, combining fine ivories of Southern Netherlandish origin with geometric tarsia decoration which is a hallmark of Islamic Spain, probably Granada. Dated here to c.1460-70, it testifies to a sophisticated international rapport between trade and manufacture in Europe during this period. (Quotes from original text)

The “Plus Oultra” writing cabinet of Charles V on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum of London is an intarsia piece made by Italian craftsmen ca. 1532. This article examines the iconographic programme of the cabinet as an expression of the universal Christian empire of Charles V and the sacred imperialism of the Spanish Austrias. This programme is revealed in three scenes depicting the story of Gideon that decorate the outside of the cabinet fall front: the revelation of the angel to Gideon and the woollen fleece in allusion to the Order of the Golden Fleece of which Charles V was the grand master, the selection of the three hundred men, and the battle against the Midianites. These scenes are complemented by medallion heads of Roman emperors to portray Charles V as legitimate successor to the Ancient Roman Empire. The inside of the fall front is emblazoned with the emblems of Charles V: the Pillars of Hercules, the ‘Plus Ultra’ motto, Saint Andrew’s crosses and laurel motifs, while the allegorical figures of Temperance and Justice adorning the sides of the cabinet symbolise the virtues of a good governor. The fall front opens to reveal a set of drawers and doors decorated with one of the earliest examples of the vanitas: objects alluding to the fleeting nature of life and the pursuit of wisdom. From a stylistic standpoint, the scenes and decorative motifs of the cabinet suggest that it may have been made in the workshop of the Dominican friar Damiano da Bergamo which Charles V visited in 1529.