Weaving Invisible Near-Infrared Markers into Fabrics for Deformation Sensing

We present a computational textile fabrication method that embeds invisible near-infrared (NIR) markers directly into fabric at the yarn level. By interlacing NIR-absorbing yarns with standard yarns within the weave structure, we create patterns that appear identical to ordinary textiles in visible light yet become reliably machine-readable under NIR imaging. This enables the fabric itself to encode data and track deformation. In collaboration with an industrial weaving mill, we are producing samples at scale and exploring applications such as interactive textile displays, self-tracking garments, and tangible fabric controls.