A group of researchers at Fudan University in China has developed a special thread that can process and analyze information while remaining as soft and flexible as regular fabric.

The team created an integrated electronic circuit inside a fiber that is thinner than a human hair. It can handle data signals, perform basic neural network tasks such as image recognition, and continue working even after bending, stretching, or repeated washing, just like normal clothing.

The fibers measure about 50 micrometers in width, which is thinner than a human hair. They can stretch by up to 30 percent, twist sharply, and withstand more than 10,000 cycles of bending and surface wear. The fibers continued to function even after being crushed under heavy weight, heated to high temperatures, and washed in machines over 100 times.

“Smart gloves made from these fibers feel just like normal fabric, yet they can sense and recreate the texture of different objects,” Peining explained. “This could allow surgeons to feel tissue during remote robotic operations.”

The medical field may benefit the most from this technology. Because the fibers are soft and similar in flexibility to brain tissue, they could be used as gentle implants for monitoring conditions such as epilepsy or treating disorders like Parkinson’s disease.