{"674984":{"#nid":"674984","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Unraveling the Physics of Knitting","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKnitting, the age-old craft of looping and stitching natural fibers into fabrics, has received renewed attention for its potential applications in advanced manufacturing. Far beyond their use for garments, knitted textiles are ideal for designing and fabricating emerging technologies like wearable electronics or soft robotics \u2014 structures that need to move and bend.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnitting transforms one-dimensional yarn into two-dimensional fabrics that are flexible, durable, and highly customizable in shape and elasticity. But to create smart textile design techniques that engineers can use, understanding the mechanics behind knitted materials is crucial.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhysicists from the Georgia Institute of Technology have taken the technical know-how of knitting and added mathematical backing to it. In a study led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/elisabetta-matsumoto\u0022\u003EElisabetta Matsumoto\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E, and Krishma Singal, a graduate researcher in Matsumoto\u2019s lab, the team used experiments and simulations to quantify and predict how knit fabric response can be programmed. By establishing a mathematical theory of knitted materials, the researchers hope that knitting \u2014 and textiles in general \u2014 can be incorporated into more engineering applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir research paper, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-024-46498-z\u0022\u003EProgramming Mechanics in Knitted Materials, Stitch by Stitch\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was published in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor centuries, hand knitters have used different types of stitches and stitch combinations to specify the geometry and \u2018stretchiness\u2019 of garments, and much of the technical knowledge surrounding knitting has been handed down by word of mouth,\u201d said Matsumoto.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut while knitting has often been dismissed as unskilled, poorly paid \u201cwomen\u2019s work,\u201d the properties of knits can be more complex than traditional engineering materials like rubbers or metals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor this project, the team wanted to decode the underlying principles that direct the elastic behavior of knitted fabrics. These principles are governed by the nuanced interplay of stitch patterns, geometry, and yarn topology \u2014 the undercrossings or overcrossings in a knot or stitch. \u0022A lot of yarn isn\u2019t very stretchy, yet once knit into a fabric, the fabric exhibits emergent elastic behavior,\u0022 Singal said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cExperienced knitters can identify which fabrics are stretchier than others and have an intuition for its best application,\u201d she added. \u201cBut by understanding how these fabrics can be programmed and how they behave, we can expand knitting\u2019s application into a variety of fields beyond clothing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a combination of experiments and simulations, Matsumoto and Singal explored the relationships among yarn manipulation, stitch patterns, and fabric elasticity, and how these factors work together to affect bulk fabric behavior. They began with physical yarn and fabric stretching experiments to identify main parameters, such as how bendable or fluffy the yarn is, and the length and radius of yarn in a given stitch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey then used the experiment results to design simulations to examine the yarn inside a stitch, similar to an X-ray.\u0026nbsp;It is difficult to see inside stitches during the physical measurements, so the simulations are used to see what parts of the yarn have interacted with other parts. The simulations are used to recreate the physical measurements as accurately as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough these experiments and simulations, Singal and Matsumoto showed the profound impact that design variations can have on fabric response and uncovered the remarkable programmability of knitting. \u0022We discovered that by using simple adjustments in how you design a fabric pattern, you can change how stretchy or stiff the bulk fabric is,\u0022 Singal said. \u0022How the yarn is manipulated, what stitches are formed, and how the stitches are patterned completely alter the response of the final fabric.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMatsumoto envisions that the insights gleaned from their research will enable knitted textile design to become more commonly used in manufacturing and product design. Their discovery that simple stitch patterning can alter a fabric\u2019s elasticity points to knitting\u2019s potential for cutting-edge interactive technologies like soft robotics, wearables, and haptics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe think of knitting as an additive manufacturing technique \u2014 like 3D printing, and you can change the material properties just by picking the right stitch pattern,\u201d Singal said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMatsumoto and Singal plan to push the boundaries of knitted fabric science even further, as there are still numerous questions about knitted fabrics to be answered.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Textiles are ubiquitous and we use them everywhere in our lives,\u0022 Matsumoto said. \u0022Right now, the hard part is that designing them for specific properties relies on having a lot of experience and technical intuition. We hope our research helps make textiles a versatile tool for engineers and scientists too.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENote\u003C\/strong\u003E: Sarah Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Michael Dimitriyev (Texas A\u0026amp;M) are also co-first authors of the study.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation\u003C\/strong\u003E: Singal, K., Dimitriyev, M.S., Gonzalez, S.E.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eet al.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Programming mechanics in knitted materials, stitch by stitch.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENat Commun\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E15\u003C\/strong\u003E, 2622 (2024).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-46498-z\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-46498-z\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: Research Corporation for Science Advancement, National Science Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe team used experiments and simulations to quantify and predict how knit fabric response can be programmed. By establishing a mathematical theory of knitted materials, the researchers hope that knitting \u2014 and textiles in general \u2014 can be incorporated into more engineering and manufacturing applications.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The researchers have taken the age-old technical know-how of knitting and added mathematical backing to it."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2024-06-03 20:48:18","changed_gmt":"2024-08-30 16:52:17","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674131":{"id":"674131","type":"image","title":"Krishma Singal operates knitting machine","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKrishma Singal operates the knitting machine she used to create fabric samples for the study. Singal, the first author of the study, recently graduated from Georgia Tech with her Ph.D. Credit: Allison Carter.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717450454","gmt_created":"2024-06-03 21:34:14","changed":"1717603146","gmt_changed":"2024-06-05 15:59:06","alt":"A woman wearing glasses and short sleeve pink sweater sit nexts to a commercial knitting machine.","file":{"fid":"257607","name":"krishma machine 2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/03\/krishma%20machine%202.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/03\/krishma%20machine%202.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5106119,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/03\/krishma%20machine%202.png?itok=ROXkgXJl"}},"674129":{"id":"674129","type":"image","title":"Fabric samples","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe team created their own fabric samples using a variety of stitch patterns. From left to right, the fabrics are stockinette, garter, rib, and seed. Each sample has the same number of stitch rows and columns, showing how stitch patterns can profoundly impact behavior, elasticity, and shape.\u0026nbsp;Credit: Allison Carter\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717448940","gmt_created":"2024-06-03 21:09:00","changed":"1717603023","gmt_changed":"2024-06-05 15:57:03","alt":"Four small samples of white fabric on a black background. ","file":{"fid":"257605","name":"fabric samples.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/03\/fabric%20samples.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/03\/fabric%20samples.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4915255,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/03\/fabric%20samples.png?itok=58aQyu8T"}},"674130":{"id":"674130","type":"image","title":"Krishma Singal stretches knit fabric","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMany types of yarn are not very stretchy, yet once knit into a fabric, the fabric exhibits emergent elastic behavior. Credit: Allison Carter\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717449360","gmt_created":"2024-06-03 21:16:00","changed":"1717603251","gmt_changed":"2024-06-05 16:00:51","alt":"Hands stretching a small piece of white knit fabric to show its elasticity","file":{"fid":"257606","name":"singal stretch.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/03\/singal%20stretch.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/03\/singal%20stretch.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5246766,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/03\/singal%20stretch.png?itok=ZQ-opnBT"}},"674128":{"id":"674128","type":"image","title":"Krishma Singal with knitting machine ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKrishma Singal with the knitting machine she used to create fabric samples for the study. Credit: Allison Carter.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717448245","gmt_created":"2024-06-03 20:57:25","changed":"1717603091","gmt_changed":"2024-06-05 15:58:11","alt":"A woman wearing glasses and short sleeve pink sweater sit nexts to a commercial knitting machine.","file":{"fid":"257603","name":"krishma singal machine.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/03\/krishma%20singal%20machine.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/03\/krishma%20singal%20machine.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5361051,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/03\/krishma%20singal%20machine.png?itok=otKS5tSl"}}},"media_ids":["674131","674129","674130","674128"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}