TECHNIQUES FOR INCORPORATING STRETCHABLE CONDUCTIVE TEXTILE TRACES AND TEXTILE-BASED SENSORS INTO KNIT STRUCTURES

An example wearable device that includes a conductive deformable fabric is described herein. The conductive deformable fabric has a conductive trace that has a non-extendable fixed length along a first axis, and the conductive trace is sewn into a fabric structure to produce a conductive deformable material. The fabric structure includes a stitch pattern that facilitates the conductive trace to unfold and fold in an oscillating fashion to allow the conductive trace to expand and contract, respectively, along the first axis without exceeding the fixed length of the conductive trace. The conductive deformable material is positioned within the wearable device such that when the wearable device is worn, the stitch pattern is over a joint of the user to allow the stitch pattern to expand or contract along with the movement of the joint.