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Singapore researchers weave a touchscreen into a washable shirt
The sleeve prototype from Singapore has fifty-four fibres carrying ninety-six LEDs each and survived fifty washes; it still needs external power.
On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on The Five O'ClockPublished
At a glance
- First reported by Fox News: “Your next shirt could have a built-in touchscreen”, with reporting from Interesting Engineering, CyberGuy, The Register and Parametric Architecture.
- Covered on BBN on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 4:25 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- Fox NewsYour next shirt could have a built-in touchscreen
- Interesting EngineeringSingapore scientists thread the world's first touchscreen into a garment facts used on air
- CyberGuyYour next shirt could have a built-in touchscreen - CyberGuy October 30, 2026 · facts used on air
- The RegisterSingapore boffins weave a GUI into fabric, and it's machine washable too October 22, 2026 · facts used on air
- Parametric ArchitectureNUS Creates 1st Electronic Fiber Touchscreen Woven Clothing facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentSingapore researchers have built what they call the first touchscreen woven into clothing, and it survived fifty machine washes, Fox News reports.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo it's a sleeve that shows images and responds when you touch it. Like a phone, except you can't leave it in a taxi.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe display is ninety-six by fifty-four pixels, built from fifty-four fibres with ninety-six tiny LEDs each.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentInteresting Engineering says that's closer to an old Nokia three-three-one-oh than a modern smartphone.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA Nokia three-three-one-oh is a legend. People still bring it up.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFor its snake game, yes.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe sleeve is a hundred sixty-eight by a hundred five millimetres, so you'd be reading a tiny picture on your forearm.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIt also works as a compass, takes voice commands and reads body temperature. That's a lot for one arm.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe researchers call it a future in which clothing is a pervasive, multimodal human-computer interface. I call that a shirt that now has notifications.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWait, what's the catch?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe prototype still needs external power, and CyberGuy says there's no announced date to buy one.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt survived fifty washes and a thousand bends, and it still can't leave the outlet.
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Friday, October 30, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
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