Designing and democratising e-textiles and flexible electronics

From 2020 to 2025 I worked full time in e-textiles research, first doing a PhD and then continuing as a Research Fellow (postdoc) at Nottingham Trent University. E-textiles are a combination of electronics and textiles, embedding circuits inside clothing and other textiles for a range of applications. My PhD research was on manufacturing methods for e-textiles, specifically looking at fabricating flexible and stretchable electronic modules that can be incorporated into garments. I’m interested in modular systems for sustainability purposes, making e-textile systems that can be hopefully be disassembled easily for repair and recycling. This work was co-funded by Nottingham Trent University and Kymira Ltd, has produced the following publications:

• J. Stanley, J. A. Hunt, P. Kunovski, and Y. Wei, “Stretchable electronic strips for electronic textiles enabled by 3D helical structure”. Sci Rep 14, 11065 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61406-7 [open access link]

• J. Stanley, J. A. Hunt, P. Kunovski, and Y. Wei, “A review of connectors and joining technologies for electronic textiles,” Eng. Reports, p. e12491, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.1002/ENG2.12491. [open access link]

• J. Stanley, J. A. Hunt, P. Kunovski, and Y. Wei, “Novel Interposer for Modular Electronic Textiles: Enabling Detachable Connections Between Flexible Electronics and Conductive Textiles,” IEEE Sensors Lett., vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 1–4, May 2022, doi: 10.1109/LSENS.2022.3176726. [behind a paywall]

• J. Stanley, K. Griggs, O. Handford, J. A. Hunt, and P. Kunovski, “Modular E-Textile Platform for Real-Time Sensing,” pp. 14–17. [open access link]

As of June 2025 I am finishing up a new project on DIY flexible electronics fabrication methods, and low-cost methods to make e-textiles. I’m interested in doing further work on democratising new technologies such as e-textiles, and understanding the barriers that prevent people from learning to make and use these technologies.

Talks and other things

I was a guest on Digital Making at Home with Raspberry Pi, talking about my PhD research and other e-textile projects.

The E-Textiles Network invited me to present a webinar on connectors and joining technologies for e-textiles.

Other Research

Other publications I’ve contributed to, on smart wound dressings, science communication and public engagement, and ADHD research, can be found on my ResearchGate or Google Scholar profiles.

I am on the technical committee for the E-Textiles conference since 2022, and am involved in the IPC E-textiles initiative to develop standards and design guidelines for e-textiles. I am also on the review committee for Alpaca Festival 2025 on algorithmic patterns in craft an technology.