'Smart cloth' - the new generation anti-theft system

On the market today there are many anti-theft systems from sirens, alarm speakers to CCTV, magnetic switches, oil detectors or infrared barrier bars. In the near future, we will have a new, multi-purpose and low-cost anti-theft system built by German scientists.

Experts at Fraunhofer Research Institute, Berlin Technical University, ETTLIN Textile Technology Company and GmbH Technology Group are collaborating on the implementation of the IZM project on research and development of a completely new anti-theft system. . This system is based on a textile fabric capable of activating the siren when a stranger tries to break into the house.

According to the researchers, this type of 'smart fabric' is woven from highly sensitive sensors, allowing to identify and determine the exact location of suspicious objects through electrical leads connected to a small control device, which allows it to detect warning signals once the cloth is affected and activate the alarm. This fabric is manufactured using standard materials registered exclusively by ETTLIN. Conductive fibers can be woven on polyester substrates using specialized textile technology, so the cost can be cheaper than those that require complex fiber optic systems available on the market. On the other hand, the current used in this device is very small, so it will not cause danger to humans and animals.

The durability of this fabric has been verified in the Fraunhofer Research Laboratory. Specifically, the experts conducted the survey by placing the product in the washing machine at 40 ^° C, giving it contact with other substances for 1,000 hours in an environment with 85% humidity and 85 ° C temperature. They put the cloth in the furnace at temperatures ranging from -40 ^° C to 85 ^° C. 'The results show that the material is unharmed , ' said Project Director IZM Erik Simon.

Simon said the fabric has a lot of potential to be used as an 'invisible security officer' , specifically meeting the protection needs of large-scale construction projects. This is said to be the best solution for museums displaying valuable objects, jewelers because people can cover this fabric camouflaged as a waterproofing layer on the roof, making carpeting or Integrated casting in concrete blocks in money storage basements in banks. Not only that, this anti-theft system can also be used to protect vehicles. For example, one can use smart cloth to cover cargo trucks, the target is often stolen by thieves when parked overnight at stops.