LEONHARD KURZ, a world-leading supplier of innovative finishing solutions, together with its subsidiary PolyIC and MENTOR, a specialist for integrated lighting solutions, present a forward-looking cooperation project: The ‘Rainbow Textile Demonstrator.’ The technology will be presented to the general public at the Folien + Fahrzeug trade fair in June 2025 and opens up a new dimension for vehicle interior design.
Textile innovation with design power and functionality
The Rainbow Textile Demonstrator represents a new generation of functional, design-oriented textiles for vehicle interiors. MENTOR developed the luminous woven fibres in collaboration with its subsidiary MUNDA. The resulting textile lighting systems are being combined for the first time in this project with transparent, flexible touch sensors from KURZ subsidiary PolyIC – a technological milestone.
The project focuses on combining highly developed, light-conducting fibre technology with surface material from MENTOR and transparent, flexible sensor technology from PolyIC. MENTOR uses extremely thin, malleable light guides woven into textiles, which are already being used successfully in the automotive industry, for example, in the Audi A3. “The luminous textiles used as surface lighting are unique in the industry to date. With additional sensor technology for individual brightness control and colour change for individual fields, the demonstrator shows what will be possible in the future,” explains Dr Markus Höner, Head of Development at MENTOR.
Touch function and dynamic lighting effects for automotive interiors
The highlight of the joint development is the integration of transparent capacitive PolyTC sensors from PolyIC. These sensors are completely embedded in the textile fabric, remaining invisible and flexible – and still enable precise touch operation. This allows colour changes, brightness gradients and animated rainbow effects to be controlled precisely – in line with adaptive, interactive vehicle design. “The sensor technology is touch-sensitive through the textile and can be customised using software. This opens up completely new design freedoms for vehicle manufacturers – from gently backlit door panels to animated lighting elements in the vehicle interior,” reports Dr Wolfgang Clemens, Director of Product Management & Business Development at PolyIC.
Partnership-based technology transfer for sustainable innovation
LEONHARD KURZ and PolyIC are providing the ideal basis for innovative mobility solutions with their expertise in functional surfaces and smart sensor technology, as well as their resource-saving decoration technologies. Together with MENTOR, an established Tier 1 supplier of OEM lighting solutions, they are creating a textile platform that can be integrated into new interior concepts in terms of both function and design.
In addition to its design benefits, the demonstrator also contributes to sustainability: Thin textile substrates, simple integration, no additional brackets or complex assembly – all of which save resources, weight, and production costs.
The Rainbow Textile Demonstrator will be presented at the Folien + Fahrzeug trade fair at the LEONHARD KURZ booth. Visitors will be able to experience the various lighting scenarios, touch functions, and design options live.