Smart clothes could take photos 聪明的衣服会拍照

高科技衣服可以记录下一天来穿着者周围的所有东西。

The researchers stretch out large fibres to make thin threads

US researchers have made smart fabric¹ that can detect the wavelength² and direction of light falling on it.

The research team has found a way to accurately³ place sensors⁴ in each fibre and co-ordinate the electrical signals they send when light falls on them.

The results were a step towards "ambient light（环境光线） imaging fabrics⁵" said the researchers.

Led by Dr Yoel Fink from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the researchers have extended earlier work that placed sensors in relatively⁶ large polymer（聚合体） fibres.

Dr Fink and colleagues found a way to stretch the 25mm strands⁷（绳索之一股） of polymer into much thinner fibres while maintaining the relative positions of the sensors.

This earlier work has led to the creation of very long and flexible light and temperature sensors that may find a role in smart fabrics for soldiers or those working in hostile environments.

In their latest work, described in a paper in Nano Letters, these thinner strands were woven into a 0.1m square section of fabric. The careful creation of the fibres and positioning of the light-sensitive elements meant that the team knew which signals were being sent by which sensors.

This enabled the team to reconstruct, albeit⁸（虽然） crudely（粗糙地）, an image projected onto the small square of fabric. The researchers said their work was an "important step" towards finding ways to get many nanoscale devices working together.