A Full Circuit Woven Into a Hair-Thin Fiber Signals a New Era for Wearable Tech
Researchers from Fudan University embedded a complete circuit inside a 50-micrometer fiber by printing transistors on a flexible elastomer film and spiraling it into the fiber, creating fiber-integrated circuits (FIC) capable of performing analog and digital processing. With about 100,000 transistors per centimeter, the ultra-thin fiber withstands extreme bending, twisting, washing, and even heavy loads, and its fabrication is compatible with standard semiconductor tooling. The breakthrough could enable interactive clothing, tactile interfaces, VR gloves, and medical implants (including brain and cardiovascular applications), marking a major advance in wearable electronics as reported in Nature.