Questions? Contact us

Design and manufacture of a flexible heating element on textile for smarter work gloves

Research opportunity

Design and manufacture of a flexible heating element on textile for smarter work gloves

Start date: 01/06/2026

The overall project, funded by the IRSST, focuses on the problem of cold intolerance in the workplace. This manifests primarily in the hands as pain, numbness, stiffness, and discoloration, and can also lead to loss of dexterity, discomfort, and dysesthesia. This can result in the cessation of activities or career changes to sectors with warmer, more tolerable environments for these individuals. One preventative measure is the use of heated gloves. The current market offerings, primarily targeting the winter leisure and outdoor sports market, are not suitable for working conditions and the handling of vibrating tools. This results, for example, in the deterioration of the heating elements and the connections between electronic components, which break due to fatigue caused by vibrations. Given the lack of satisfactory solutions adapted to working conditions, this project aims to develop and explore the potential of heated gloves, leveraging recent advances in printed electronics, to provide a technological solution to the problem of cold intolerance in the workplace. A key phase of the project focuses on the design and manufacturing of the heating element and the study of its functional properties. This phase aims to determine the shape and placement of the heating elements, as well as their electrical power, based on the targeted climatic conditions. The design process includes selecting the most suitable pattern to ensure uniform heating of the hand and fingers. Several patterns can be designed and tested, such as S-curves or fractals like Peano curves. Simultaneously, the power and target temperature of the printed trace must be determined, while ensuring that the skin temperature does not exceed 43°C to avoid any risk of burns. Finally, in connection with the design, it will be possible to refer to existing simulation models or to develop one if necessary.

Zhuldybina, Mariia

Associate Researcher

Zhuldybina, Mariia

Axis and themes:

Join our distribution list