Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Researchers at Harvard have turned everyday knitting into a platform for making shape-shifting devices that can act as switches, sensors, and more — paving the way to next-generation functional, programmable textiles.
The researchers created unique, machine-knitted fabrics that “snap” between multiple stable shapes, exhibiting a quality known to physicists as multistability.
To demonstrate potential applications, the researchers embedded fine conductive yarns into their knits, turning the fabrics into soft, stretchable, electric switches that change state as the textile snaps back and forth.
One of their experiments was a wearable textile switch that, when mounted over the knee or elbow, creates a snapping motion can be read by an Arduino to count steps. They also designed a reconfigurable lamp shape with three separate multistable switches, each controlling a different color of light as the fabric stretches and snaps.
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Researchers at Harvard have turned everyday knitting into a platform for making shape-shifting devices that can act as switches, sensors, and more — paving the way to next-generation functional, programmable textiles.
The researchers created unique, machine-knitted fabrics that “snap” between multiple stable shapes, exhibiting a quality known to physicists as multistability.
To demonstrate potential applications, the researchers embedded fine conductive yarns into their knits, turning the fabrics into soft, stretchable, electric switches that change state as the textile snaps back and forth.
One of their experiments was a wearable textile switch that, when mounted over the knee or elbow, creates a snapping motion can be read by an Arduino to count steps. They also designed a reconfigurable lamp shape with three separate multistable switches, each controlling a different color of light as the fabric stretches and snaps.
_________________
SEE MORE RESEARCH VIDEOS:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtHrXQsUhv82_qUFDPoM-OII84iEz0mDA
_________________
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MONTHLY RESEARCH NEWSLETTER
harvard.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=598d73b470a40f403bba4fb2c&id=318af7d2ea
_________________
VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
facebook.com/hseas
instagram.com/harvardseas
twitter.com/hseas
linkedin.com/school/1711270/admin/dashboard
_________________
Hashtags:
#HarvardSEAS
#Harvardengineering
#Harvard
#research
