What is Luminous Fabric?

Luminous fabric, or photoluminescent fabric, is a new type of textile based on either fiber optics or LEDs. This fabric is currently (as of April 2007) sold by only three companies: Luminex, headquartered in Italy, LumiGram, a French luxuries company, and Philips, the global electronics giant. The luminous fabric uses low-voltage (3-5 V) batteries to provide a pleasant glow in any color. Specific designs can produce varying intensities, allowing patterns or pictures to be embedded in the fabric. Luminous fabric is a good example of a product that is just starting out, and observing its adoption will be an interesting case study in product economics and sociology. Since fiber optics were invented in the 1970s, companies have experimented with the idea of luminous fabrics, but it's not until now - the late 00s - that the technology is truly workable. This is thanks to advances in optics and materials science. Different approaches are being used: Luminex and LumiGram are going with fiber ... more