EN ISO 17971:2025 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 17971:2025 - Textiles: Smart textiles - Test method for determining the screen-touch properties of fabrics specifies a standardized test method to evaluate how fabrics interact with capacitive touchscreens. Published by CEN/ISO in 2025 and adopted as a European Standard (EN ISO 17971:2025), it applies to all fabric types intended to serve as an interface (for example, touchscreen-capable gloves, sleeves, straps and other wearable materials).

This standard addresses the growing market for screen-touch fabrics and provides repeatable, instrumented methods to assess whether a textile reliably activates capacitive displays.

Key Topics and Requirements

• Scope and definition
  • Defines screen-touch property as the ability of a fabric to control a capacitive display through touchscreen induction.
• Test principle
  • Instrumented testing of specimens using a testing head to perform single-point, multi-point, and sliding (slide) touch tests under standardized conditions.
• Apparatus and test equipment
  • Requires a mobile arm, stage, reference screen, cylindrical test bar, and force sensor.
  • Test equipment for touch performance must comply with IEC 62908-12-10 and IEC 62908-12-20.
  • Position resolution requirement shown in the document: 0.01 mm.
• Conditioning and atmosphere
  • Conditioning and testing atmosphere reference: ISO 139 (standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing).
• Test procedures and result metrics
  • Blank (control), single-point, multi-point, and slide tests (line and circular slide variants).
  • Result expression includes deviation of precision, response ratio (single-point), adjacent touch distance (multi-point), and linearity (sliding tests).
• Reporting and annexes
  • Specifies required test report content and informative annexes describing test equipment and extreme environmental conditions used during development.

Applications and Who Uses It

• Manufacturers of smart textiles and touchscreen-capable garments (e.g., gloves, wearable interfaces).
• R&D teams designing conductive yarns, coatings, or integrated textile sensors for touch interaction.
• Textile testing laboratories and quality control departments validating product performance.
• OEMs and procurement professionals specifying acceptance criteria for touchscreen-compatible textile components.
• Certification bodies and standardization stakeholders assessing compliance and performance claims.

Related Standards

• ISO 139 - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
• IEC 62908-12-10 - Touch displays - Measurement methods (touch and electrical performance)
• IEC 62908-12-20 - Touch displays - Multi-touch performance

Keywords: EN ISO 17971:2025, screen-touch properties, smart textiles, touchscreen fabrics test method, textile testing, capacitive touchscreen, wearable electronics.