Toward Smart Textiles: Carbon-Based Thermistor on Buckram Fabric for Body Temperature Monitoring

This letter presents a carbon-based thermistor integrated into a T-shirt for wearable body temperature monitoring, using buckram fabric as a flexible substrate. The sensing element is formed by depositing carbon-based spray onto the buckram fabric and patterning it into a circular geometry. The proposed sensor offers low-cost, lightweight, and conformable sensing solution. The temperature sensor exhibited a high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR = 3.85%), a fast response time of 1.77 s, and an average recovery time of 3.41 s, achieving performance comparable to a commercial NTC thermistor. Experimental results confirm the feasibility of reliable body temperature monitoring. To the best of the author's knowledge, buckram fabric has not been widely explored for thermistor applications. Among the evaluated filtering schemes, the median filter outperforming others in terms of stability and noise reduction. Bluetooth integration enables continuous real-time remote temperature monitoring, highlighting the potential of the system for wearable and wireless diagnostic applications.