Chinese scientists claim they have made a groundbreaking advance in wearable technology by developing fibres capable of generating light and electricity when worn.

Dr Yang Weifeng from Donghua University in Shanghai, China, and his research team said they have paved the way for battery- and chip-free clothes, by developing a three-layered smart fibre.

Footage captured by the research team showed Weifeng touching a piece of clothing and causing it to emit light, where the fibre's core serves as an antenna, detecting alternating electromagnetic fields.

Its middle layer, made of dielectric composite resin, boosts the fibre's ability to manage electromagnetic energy, while an outer layer made of electric field-sensitive luminescent material causes the fibre to glow.

The innovative breakthrough emerged from Weifeng's experiments three years ago, where he initially connected an AC signal to the fibre's conductive layer.

He then placed another electrode on the fibre's surface to create an electric field between them, causing the fibre to emit light.

However, when the electrode clip accidentally fell off during an experiment, Yang noticed that touching the fibre would still cause it to glow up.

When the phenomenon continued in his repeated experiments, he took the matter to his supervisors, who realised that the lack of a physical connection created an easy route for electromagnetic energy to escape, thus lighting the fibre up.

A member of the research team, Wang Hongzhi, noted that there's a lot of unused energy in electromagnetic fields, and suggested that the human body, being more conductive than air, could capture and use it.

He argued that the discovery is most significant for smart wearables, stating that current smart clothing mainly relies on silicon-based chips to process information and manage attached devices.

Wang said: 'As more components converge into a single garment, however, its comfort diminishes significantly.'

'Moreover, as demands for additional functions surge, the burden on the garment escalates. You end up lugging around a hefty circuit board, rendering the clothing impractical for daily wear.'

According to the researcher, the new smart fibre eliminates the need for chips, batteries, and electronics, simplifying its design and making it washable.

Wang also mentioned that smart clothing could revolutionise public transportation by letting passengers signal for a stop with a gesture rather than pressing a button.

Additionally, said the researcher, it could enable real-time monitoring of bodily functions.

He said: 'If your body is inflamed, your clothes could sound the alarm based on a chemical analysis of your sweat.'

The study called 'Single body-coupled fibre enables chipless textile electronics' was published in the journal Science on April 4.