Feasibility Analysis of a Textile Metal Detector Utilizing a Conductive Yarn

In working areas where a human is in contact with moving machines, it is mandatory to establish a safe working environment. Such environments are secured with electronic sensors. In contrast to industrial production, other working areas like forestry cannot rely on electronic sensors. Both working areas have an approaching metal object as one cause of injury in common. This is where a wearable metal sensing concept comes to use. To further increase the practicability and usability of those metal sensing devices, the sensing element is implemented directly in the textile, which is worn on the body. A combination of the metal sensing principles of commercially used metal detectors and the utilisation of smart textiles as the sensing element is the main focus of this paper. It is investigated by using a textile yarn to detect a metal object approaching the sensing element, by measuring the change of voltage and phase and therefore the change in inductance. The results show the possibility of implementing a textile metal detection sensor by using a conductive yarn as a sensing element.