Anne Toomey’s research is focused on innovative materials´ development for current and future applications with an emphasis on intelligent and responsive surfaces. This especially highlights the creative potential in the applications of Textiles within integrated interdisciplinary projects.

Anne’s research explores the collaborative roles of creative industries with micro- and nano- materials, used with advanced manufacturing concepts and emerging technologies, to define the future landscape of product design with particular reference to Textiles applications.

Key phrases ‘Imagineering’, a hybrid of Design and Engineering with Imagination and ‘Visible Invisibility’ are not only project titles but also capture the idea of the decreasing visibility of technology, coupled with the increasing visibility of information, and reflect the move towards intelligent materials development and integration with fabrics and fabric-related products.

Specific projects include: ‘Visible Invisibility’: enhancing patient safety through contamination-aware fabrics; FP7 project ‘Future Health’, which aims to meet the needs of modern healthcare and future health delivery, especially in 24-hour chronic healthcare, through continuous monitoring, analysis, and intelligent, responsive therapeutic treatment and recording; and the development of the ‘Dots, Lines and Surfaces’ concept with Dr Raymond Oliver, Arrowscience Consulting.

Recent lectures and papers include:

• ‘Visible Invisibility’, presented at Techtextil, Frankfurt 2007, Medtex 2007, Bolton and Antibacterial Conference, Institute of Materials, London 2007.
• ‘Technical Couture’, Inclusive Clothing Seminar, Institute of Occupational Therapists, London 2007.
• ‘Imagineering: Creativity in the Future Landscape’ presented at Shanghai Nanoforum 2007 and Textile institute World Conference, Hong Kong 2008.
• ‘Materials and Safety in Product Design’, MADE, Loughborough University 2008.
• Joint presentations and lectures with Dr Raymond Oliver, Arrowscience Consulting include:
• ‘Dots, Lines and Surfaces’, presented at the RAEng Annual Scholars’ lecture, Cambridge 2008; and Another Side of Fashion, DANA Centre, London 2008.