Copyright Interesting Engineering
A startup born out of Rice University is turning ordinary fabrics into wearable communication tools. Actile Technologies, co-founded by doctoral candidate Barclay Jumet and his adviser Daniel J. Preston, has developed a textile platform that sends information through touch rather than sight or sound. “Every device around us is constantly competing for our eyes and ears,” Jumet said. “We wanted to create a way to deliver information that doesn’t add to that burden or distraction.” The team’s approach uses the natural language of touch, allowing clothes themselves to communicate signals to the wearer. The idea began in the Preston Innovation Laboratory at Rice, where research blends materials science, fluid mechanics, and robotics. Jumet’s doctoral work focuses on soft robotics and how fabrics can interact with the human body. Working with Preston, he developed ways for textiles to create haptic cues such as squeezes, taps, or temperature shifts through lightweight, flexible materials. “One of the technologies that came out of the lab is something we call fluidic logic,” said Preston, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “Instead of using electronics, we use pressures and flows of air within the textile to generate signals.” This method makes fabrics more durable and adaptable, allowing them to function in environments where electronics might fail. With support from Rice’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Jumet turned the concept into a commercial venture, launching Actile in late 2024. Silent signals for soldiers Actile’s garments look like regular uniforms or athletic wear but contain a hidden network of channels and conductive fibers. These allow the fabric to send tactile signals that the body can instantly recognize without visual or auditory input. “If your uniform can gently tap your shoulder or squeeze your arm to signal a direction, you don’t need to keep your eyes on a screen,” Jumet said. “The feedback is discreet, immediate and enables the user to keep their eyes and ears on their environment.” The company’s first focus is defense. In combat zones where visibility and sound are limited, Actile’s fabrics can transmit silent, secure commands. “This is about reducing the cognitive bottleneck,” Preston said. “Modern warfighters are flooded with information. By shifting some of that to the sense of touch, we free up their eyes and ears for the mission-critical tasks at hand.” Actile is already attracting attention. It is a finalist in NATO’s DIANA accelerator program for up to 400,000 euros in funding and is competing in the U.S. Army’s xTechSearch 9 program after winning the first-round prize. The startup has also received $50,000 each from Rice’s One Small Step Grant and the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program. Beyond the battlefield Actile is now collaborating with Rice Athletics to explore sports applications. Subtle haptic feedback could help athletes refine movement, improve reaction times, and speed up recovery. “The same technology that can guide a warfighter in the field can help an athlete recover faster, move more efficiently or be more aware of their surroundings,” Jumet said. Future uses extend to emergency response, industrial safety, and medical rehabilitation. The company is also advancing textile-based heating and cooling systems that could protect workers in extreme environments or improve comfort in protective suits and space gear.
