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      Kinetic Couture: Introducing the Butterfly Dress

      January 25, 2017

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      Aerochromics: Pollution Monitoring Garments Aim to Become A Sixth Skin

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      February 27, 2016

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      3D Print and the Jewellery Industry: An Overview

      December 11, 2015

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      January 6, 2015

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      Wearables in Contemporary Ballet

      November 18, 2014

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      Fibers Software Transforms Your Fuelband Data into Art

      August 19, 2014

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      Adidas Reissues Micropacer OG

      August 14, 2014

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      Fashionable therapy brightens winter SADness

      July 30, 2015

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      Lightwear: An Exploration in Wearable Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

      February 4, 2015

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      Vigour — A Gorgeous Wearable For Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy

      December 18, 2014

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      Space: What to wear?

      June 7, 2014

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      E-textile Pillow for Communication Between Dementia Patients and Family

      November 5, 2013

  • Wearables UX
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      Moff: Wearable Smart Toy For Kids

      August 21, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Temporary NFC Tattoo

      July 29, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Wearable Tech Guide to SXSW

      March 7, 2014

      Wearables UX

      PixMob’s LED beanies light up the SuperBowl by turning the crowd into human pixels

      February 3, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Cadbury Joy Jackets

      January 16, 2014

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      Interview with Davide Vigano of Heapsylon

      April 30, 2014

      Interviews

      Make It Wearable Video Series by Creators Project

      April 3, 2014

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      Interview with Sparkfun’s Dia Campbell

      March 26, 2014

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      Interview with Julia Koerner

      March 20, 2014

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      Interview with Akseli Reho from Clothing Plus

      March 17, 2014

  • Materials
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      Conductive Tattoos Turn Your Skin Into An Interface

      August 24, 2016

      Materials

      Biofabrication: The New Revolution in Material Design

      August 23, 2016

      Materials

      Aerochromics: Pollution Monitoring Garments Aim to Become A Sixth Skin

      August 17, 2016

      Materials

      Biomimicry and Sports Apparel

      August 15, 2016

      Materials

      Smart Fabrics Conference May 11 – 13

      April 27, 2015

  • DIY
    • DIY

      Techno Textiles – Concordia University

      January 18, 2016

      DIY

      Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology 2015 Review

      July 8, 2015

      DIY

      Explore and Learn from the Students of the Wearables Class at CCA

      April 19, 2015

      DIY

      Make It Wearable Winners

      November 4, 2014

      DIY

      JPG Data Knit Blanket Series from Glitchaus

      September 22, 2014

  • About

Fashioning Tech

for fashion futurists & wearable tech enthusiasts

  • Home
  • Fashion
    • Fashion

      Kinetic Couture: Introducing the Butterfly Dress

      January 25, 2017

      Fashion

      Kate Spade Brings Whimsy to Wearables

      August 29, 2016

      Fashion

      Aerochromics: Pollution Monitoring Garments Aim to Become A Sixth Skin

      August 17, 2016

      Fashion

      ‎BODYSONG‬./Glitchaus GLITCHJK Jacquard Bomber Jacket

      February 27, 2016

      Fashion

      3D Print and the Jewellery Industry: An Overview

      December 11, 2015

  • Fitness
    • Fitness

      Biomimicry and Sports Apparel

      August 15, 2016

      Fitness

      Bring A Little Bling To Your Workout with Misfit’s Solar-Powered Activity Trackers Made From Swarovski Crystals

      January 6, 2015

      Fitness

      Wearables in Contemporary Ballet

      November 18, 2014

      Fitness

      Fibers Software Transforms Your Fuelband Data into Art

      August 19, 2014

      Fitness

      Adidas Reissues Micropacer OG

      August 14, 2014

  • Healthcare
    • Healthcare

      Fashionable therapy brightens winter SADness

      July 30, 2015

      Healthcare

      Lightwear: An Exploration in Wearable Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

      February 4, 2015

      Healthcare

      Vigour — A Gorgeous Wearable For Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy

      December 18, 2014

      Healthcare

      Space: What to wear?

      June 7, 2014

      Healthcare

      E-textile Pillow for Communication Between Dementia Patients and Family

      November 5, 2013

  • Wearables UX
    • Wearables UX

      Moff: Wearable Smart Toy For Kids

      August 21, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Temporary NFC Tattoo

      July 29, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Wearable Tech Guide to SXSW

      March 7, 2014

      Wearables UX

      PixMob’s LED beanies light up the SuperBowl by turning the crowd into human pixels

      February 3, 2014

      Wearables UX

      Cadbury Joy Jackets

      January 16, 2014

  • Interviews
    • Interviews

      Interview with Davide Vigano of Heapsylon

      April 30, 2014

      Interviews

      Make It Wearable Video Series by Creators Project

      April 3, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Sparkfun’s Dia Campbell

      March 26, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Julia Koerner

      March 20, 2014

      Interviews

      Interview with Akseli Reho from Clothing Plus

      March 17, 2014

  • Materials
    • Materials

      Conductive Tattoos Turn Your Skin Into An Interface

      August 24, 2016

      Materials

      Biofabrication: The New Revolution in Material Design

      August 23, 2016

      Materials

      Aerochromics: Pollution Monitoring Garments Aim to Become A Sixth Skin

      August 17, 2016

      Materials

      Biomimicry and Sports Apparel

      August 15, 2016

      Materials

      Smart Fabrics Conference May 11 – 13

      April 27, 2015

  • DIY
    • DIY

      Techno Textiles – Concordia University

      January 18, 2016

      DIY

      Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology 2015 Review

      July 8, 2015

      DIY

      Explore and Learn from the Students of the Wearables Class at CCA

      April 19, 2015

      DIY

      Make It Wearable Winners

      November 4, 2014

      DIY

      JPG Data Knit Blanket Series from Glitchaus

      September 22, 2014

  • About

DIY

DIY

Techno Textiles – Concordia University

written by Valérie Lamontagne

This past fall (2015), I taught an introductory class of technology textiles to fibers students at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. This was for many students a first introduction to the world of electronics, soft circuits, programming and designing for interaction. Needless to say, the final projects pretty much blew me away!

Techno-Textiles: The course was designed to make the world of electronics accessible for the creation of interactive textile art projects. The design brief for the final class project focused on building a “second skin” that communicates information (physical memory) to another human/animal/object.

Here are some of the projects!


Sara Graorac + Tess Kuramoto “I Care”

“I Care” is a pair of wrist and forearm splints that serve to communicate through several sources of energy. “I Care” splints function through a wireless signal and an interaction between wearers. “I care” explores the effects of holistic and alternative medicine, juxtaposed against aesthetics of modern healthcare. The wearable technology references light therapy and reflexology. “I Care” serves as an extension of the self; a reminder that our body can be a vessel for the intangible, and a centre for empathy, communication and ultimately for healing.
___________________________________________________________________

Rita Kesselring + Lea Schwarz Dionne “Mediated Communication ( Device 1 )”

“Mediated Communication” is an immersive sound experience where two participants share different sounds in order to make sense of a bigger message. Each participant can listen to the sound they send and also the one transmitted by their partner. Drawing from the idea of technology mediating our understanding of information, this object is regulating the communication between the users and they are no longer communicating verbally.
___________________________________________________________________

Lydia Laberge “Sans titre (Homme aux yeux qui vibrent)” (Untitled (Man With Vibrating Eyes))

This work features a bust constructed of painted canvas, with tiny mirrors embedded inside his eyes. When a viewer approaches the sculpture and looks into his eyes, a vibrator is activated, causing one’s own eye reflection to blur.
___________________________________________________________________

Laïla Mestari “OK, on voit ta tête” (Ok, We See Your Head)


With “OK, on voit ta tête” I am interested in the link between our dependence on technology to perceive the world, and the loss of existing senses along the way. I see it as a quintessential example of the blind leading the bind.
___________________________________________________________________

Mireille Monette-Bouteiller “Breathe”



The project “Breathe” is a user-activated audio piece that provides a sonic environment to contemplate the landscape, and offer a respite from the busy student life. 


___________________________________________________________________

Isabel Prado Caro “Fractions de la vie d’une manche” (Fractions of a Sleeve’s Life)

Slipping on a garment calls upon a movement of our limbs, who navigate and then settle in. This project explores the movement of a sleeve under three conceptual and technical angles.
___________________________________________________________________

Clara Quintela de Almeida “Heartbeat”

“Heartbeat” plays with the idea of being someone else, being in someone else’s “heart,” as an exercise in detaching ourselves/transposing ourselves into another body, another skin, another situation, another life. It is a metaphor for compassion.

Techno Textiles – Fibers Department, Fine Arts, Concordia University, Montreal Canada – Fall 2015
Valérie Lamontagne, Professor

Techno Textiles – Concordia University was last modified: August 15th, 2016 by Valérie Lamontagne
January 18, 2016 0 comment
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DIY

Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology 2015 Review

written by Valérie Lamontagne

Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology 2015 recently held from May 11-13 in the booming start-up town of San Francisco featured some of the most exciting and cutting edge research and innovation in fabrics and wearables tech. Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology is a leading industry conference that blends business with the science of smart textiles and features speakers as diverse as engineers, business developers, and fashion and technology experts.



Given that 2015 has so far been a landmark year for wearables in the tech industry, the tone of the conference was decided tuned to business, emerging markets and productions modes as well as the touchy issues of intellectual property and legal frameworks around building a new business in tech. That said, a lot more internal questioning on the purpose and the design vision of wearables was considered in this edition of Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology. Having attend this conference on a number of occasions in the past, I can attest to the focus having evolved from an insider group to a full fledged startup culture that is ripe to not only change the tech market, but our relationships to objects, data, and engineering as it becomes increasingly intertwined with personal issues of the body. The conference can best be summarized by an overview of a few of the highlight presentations.



Monday May 11, 2015
The fist day was focused on industry:



Denise Gershbein from FROG DESIGN started the conference by highlighting the role of good design in wearables. She focused on the inter-related nature of wearables and how “a wearable is just one touchpoint in a system of people, objects, data and processes.” Her argument was that now that we are at the tipping point of putting chips in anything and looking at ways of being cyborgs (google glass) or flying (jet packs) what do we really need from design? Ultimately for Gershbein, the potential positive impact of our wearable technologies is through social inclusiveness and progress.


Maggie Orth from INTERNATIONAL FASHION MACHINES is a pioneer in the world of smart and dynamic textiles. Her talk also had a very social and environmental message for the future of wearables. As a cautionary tale, she questioned the drive to make textiles smart, and that simpler and more holistic materials and manufacturing practices will in the long run make more financial, social and sustainable sense. One of the avenues she proposes is to make devices more physically long-lasting, and focusing on the software upgrades instead of the destructive drive for more consumer electronic products, and hence e-waste.


Andy Behar of VIVOMETRICS used the case study of his LifeShirt developed in the early history of wearables and body sensing technologies. The LifeShirt was an important catalyst for the the whole industry of wearable technologies impacting on the future of monitoring for health, safety, and well-being. An interesting outcome of LifeShirt’s successful ability to monitor up to 30+ physiological signs has resulted in weighty questions around the ownership and disclosure of data and metrics and its potential complications for health-monitoring devices.



Scott Miller from DRAGON INNOVATION focused on his company’s experience with scaling up a status production. He argued that the manufacturing is much more and far too little considered in the development of a product and business plan. He proposed that startups only launch their products once they have ironed out the production chain and can successfully deliver to the scale of demand.


Michelle Mancino Marsh, a fashion lawyer at KENYON & KENYON LLP with an eye for tech deconstructed from a legal standpoint the various patentable and IP protected elements of wearable technologies. Her goal was to sensitize the emerging independent researchers and designers to be better aware of the importance of protecting their technological and design IP. She cited a number of current patent cases involving fitness trackers, tech gloves (gloves with conductive tips), and smart shirts as both successful and complicated legal disputes.



Tuesday, May 12, 2015


The second day was focused on design:


Kristine Upesleja from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising looked at the fashion angle of wearable tech from a diverse research angle. Spanning wearable devices to bio fabrication, she looked at how current innovation is going beyond tech gadgets and devices. She cited mood monitoring devices and display; bio printing and organic tech; as well as 3D printing as areas to look at in emergent wearables and smart fabrics research.
Koen van Os from the PHILIPS GROUP INNOVATION presented current Phillips research in light textiles and fashion applications. Phillips has a long history is merging excellence in design with light featuring products such as “HUE” the colour changing light and the large luminous surfaces for architectural settings. Featured was “Philips BlueTouch” a phototherapy textile products worn on the skin for the relief of pain, eczema, and psoriasis, as well as Pauline Van Dongen’s “Lumi League” illuminated sports garments.



Gihan Amarasiriwardena of MINISTRY OF SUPPLY featured a future in apparel design that would deliver custom design clothing with reactive smart features such as odour repelling and phase changing textiles.



Dr. Daniel Gloesener from SOLVAY SA presented research in thin flexible batteries innovation arrived at through chemical research. The company is already developing products for a number of industries including automotive, building, agriculture, and electronics as well as the recent solar-powered plane! They proposed that their Li-battery research could provide much needed solutions for thin/flexible batteries adapted to wearable products.


Amanda Boxtel of BRIDGING BIONICS FOUNDATION and Scott Summit from 3D SYSTEMS CORPORATION looked at how 3D printing could enhance functional robotics. Specifically they demonstrated the impressive and touching case of a full body robotics garment designed for Amanda Boxtel, who has since an accident in her twenties been unable to walk. In the live demonstration they showed how the robotics device worked, and Amanda was able to walk on and around stage with a customized and robotized 3D-printed exoskeleton. Scott also presented custom 3D printed casts that permitted more comfort, mobility, cost-effectiveness and various use and design aesthetics.



Jessica Floeh from HANKY PANCREAS also looked at the improvement of design and aesthetics for wearable diabetic medical devices. Her perspective stemmed from her person need for a diabetic monitor, and a desire to transform the self and collective perception of the illness through better design.
Dr. Tom Martin from VIRGINIA TECH and Lucy Dunne of UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA looked at the role of teaching and education in the advancement of smart fabrics and wearable technologies. As a case study, they described their students participation in the development of wearable technology prototypes for the NASA Johnson Space Center. Some of the impressive prototypes that their students designed included: liquid-cooling garments; moisture management gloves; wearable audio communicators; haptic navigation belts and a noise cancelling vest!



Todd Harple from INTEL did a quick overview of the promises, privacy and perceptions of wearable devices. He traced how mobile wearable technologies—from the smart phone, key and bracelet—are increasingly becoming more transparent, intimate, invisible, and of course, smart!



Dr. Vasileios Exadaktylos from M3-BIORES, KU LEUVEN walked us through the development of a real-time monitoring smart watch for the evaluation of stress levels for sports, work and other real-life contexts. 


Dr. Christian Holz of YAHOO LABS made a case for a future of biometric wearables and implanted devices. He demonstrated how everyday gestures and haptics could become input and output computational interfaces embedded into the body. He then presented an interface prototype (concealed in prosthetic artificial skin) which was tested in live contexts to evaluate usability, and the reaction from an uninitiated public. The conclusion was that many of the input (tapping; gesture) and output (sound vibrating) features were difficult to grasp in the wild, but that public acceptance seemed possible.



Dr. Edgar Rodriguez from VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON presented his research on how smart 3D printed fabrics could tap into gaming-like controls for a higher adoption rate of physical rehabilitation activity.



Wednesday, May 13, 2015


The third day was focused on the future of wearable tech:



Jeremy Wall of LUMENUS argued that “when a product shifts from useful to desirable, it has reached a tipping point” and this is what we are currently experiencing with wearable tech. He pointed out how many of tech’s recent success stories (which have been subsequently bought by Apple) such as Beats By Dre; and the Nest wall thermometer; have demonstrate a need for technology’s design to be aligned with lifestyle in order to be successful.


Andy Goodman from FJORD US asks the very valid question: “Who will truly ‘own’ the data which is generated by our bodies?” In a future where zero user interfaces will collect data and respond to programmed inputs, what role or agency will the human play? In a near speculative post-humanist future of 2020 where payments will be made through facial recognition; video displays will be embedded into eye retinas; and eating habits & diabetes could be enhanced through user interfaces: the future of wearable devices is wide open!



Montreal, July 8, 2015



Conference Presenter List:

Monday, May 11, 2015
– Denise Gershbein, Executive Creative Director, FROG DESIGN

“Expanding World Views for Wearable Design”

- Maggie Orth, Artist, Writer, and Technologist; Founder, INTERNATIONAL FASHION MACHINES

“Can Wearables Become Sustainables?”

– Andy Behar, Founder, VIVOMETRICS
“Can Wearables Fulfill Their Potential to Radically Improve Health-Care Outcomes?”

– Paul Gough, Strategic Marketing Manager, U-BLOX

“Where From and To…”

- Sundaresan Jayaraman, Kolon Professor, Scheller College of Business and the School of Material Science and Engineering, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

“Today’s Wearables Revolution: Bridging the Origins of the Future”

- Scott Miller, CEO and Co-Founder, DRAGON INNOVATION

“The Hardware Challenge: Going from Prototype to High Volume Manufacturing”

– Michelle Mancino Marsh, Partner and Head of Fashion Practice Group, KENYON & KENYON LLP

“Navigating the IP Minefield in Wearable Tech”



Tuesday, May 12, 2015


- Kristine Upesleja, Manager, Textiles & Materials, FIDM/ Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

“Engineering Fashion – INVENTIONS”

– Koen van Os, Intelligent Textiles, Device Integration Technologies, Research, PHILIPS GROUP INNOVATION and Pauline Van Dongen, Designer

“Wearable Light in Fashion”

- Gihan Amarasiriwardena, Co-Founder & CEO, MINISTRY OF SUPPLY

“Engineering the Apparel Design Process”

– Dr. Daniel Gloesener, Program Manager – Battery Technologies, SOLVAY SA – Corporate Research and Innovation

“Innovative Solutions for Thin Flexible Batteries”

- Amanda Boxtel, Executive Director, BRIDGING BIONICS FOUNDATION and Scott Summit, Senior Director, Functional Design, 3D SYSTEMS CORPORATION

“Walking in Style – How Can 3D Printing Design Enhance Functional Robotics?”

- Jessica Floeh, Designer & Founder, HANKY PANCREAS

“A Social Model of Design for Wearable Medical Devices”

– Dr. Tom Martin, Professor Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH and Lucy Dunne, Associate Professor and Director, Apparel Design Program; Director, Wearable Technology Lab, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

“One Part Neil Armstrong, One Part Miuccia Prada: One small step toward the future of wearable technology”
– Todd Harple, Pathfinding and Innovation Lead, Experience Strategist, New Devices Group, INTEL

“Promises, Privacy and Perception: Perspectives on Technology On and Of the Human Body”

– Dr. Vasileios Exadaktylos, Division M3-BIORES, KU LEUVEN

“Real-Time Monitoring by a Smart Watch”

- Dr. Christian Holz, Research Scientist, Future Technologies & Interactive Devices, YAHOO LABS

“Biometric Wearables and Implanted Devices”

– Dr. Christine C. Ho, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, IMPRINT ENERGY, INC

“Wearable Electronics: New Opportunities for Energy Storage Design”

- Anush Elangovan, Founder & CEO, NOD LABS

“Nod: Achieving Pixel Accurate Gesture Control”

- Matan Berkowitz, Co-Founder, SHIFT INNOVATION

“Wearables and the Future of Music”

– Dr. Edgar Rodriguez, Programme Director Industrial Design VUW. Co-Director Smart Interactions, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON

“Smart 3D Printed Fabrics as Game Controllers for Physical Rehabilitation”



Wednesday, May 13, 2015


– Marco Della Torre, Co-Founder of BASIS SCIENCE and Business Development at INTEL


“Marrying Tech and Fashion to Deliver True Wearable Innovation”

– Jeremy Wall, Founder, LUMENUS

“Wearable Acceptance: Reaching the Tipping Point”

– Devarshi Shah, CEO, IMBUE
“Style, Size and Substance: How to Approach Connected Fashion”

- Caroline Loss, PhD Candidate in Textile Engineering, UNIVERSITY OF BEIRA INTERIOR PORTUGAL

“Textile Antenna Embedded in Clothing for Energy Harvesting”

- Andy Goodman, President, FJORD US

“The Design Challenges Which Will Arise from the Convergence of Technology and Biology: Who will truly ‘own’ the data which is generated by our bodies?

- Dan Ledger, Principal, ENDEAVOUR PARTNERS

“The Rocky Path Towards Insightful Wearables”

Smart Fabrics + Wearable Technology 2015 Review was last modified: August 15th, 2016 by Valérie Lamontagne
July 8, 2015 0 comment
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Explore and Learn from the Students of the Wearables Class at CCA

written by FashioningTech Contributor

The class Wearable and Soft Interactions is now in it’s third semester. Each semester the students have been busy with assignments that document and report on electronic components and techniques that are used while building their wearable and e-textile projects.

This class was originally developed for the Interaction Design department at California College of the Arts (CCA) located in the Bay Area. It’s now offered to all disciplines through CCA’s UDIST program. The class focuses on technology that can be embedded and designed for fabrics, wearable and flexible projects. Some of the topics explored are introduction to soft circuits, the wearable market today, history of wearable technology and pertinent rapid prototyping approaches.

There are two assignments that the students receive while taking this class: the Component Report and the Technique Report. Both are inspired by the Component Report assigned to students who take the Physical Computing class while at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. 

The Component Report is assigned to further the student’s understanding of the research process on a specific electronic component, including how to find the datasheet and testing the sensor’s behavior.

The Technique Report is assigned to shine light on specific and novel methods that students learn and develop while they prototype and craft their wearables and e-textiles in class.

These both teach that skill sharing is important to the DIY and academic community, giving back by posting the student’s work as public, while enriching the student’s abilities during their creation. As the instructor, I’ve started compiling the reports on a class website, most of them are PDFs and some are Instructables which are formatted as step-by-step instructions.

Some examples of technique reports:

Using Conductive Thread as Heating Element with Thermochromic Ink

Quick Smocking Using Glue

Tips For Laser Cutting Fabric

Creating Origami Fabric Panels

Conductive Thread Touch Sensor

Use an Arduinio Uno as MIDI Controller

Creating a Flex Sensor Sleeve

Conductive Thread Touch Switches

Smocking with Glue

Some components that have been reported on:

ADXL345 accelerometer breakout board

Infrared Sensor – #GP2Y0A02YK0F

Infrared Thermometer – MLX90614

MindWave EEG Brainwave Headset

Muscle Wire

While the list is still being added, I invite the community to explore and learn from the all the student’s creative and hard work. 

Class website:  www.wearable-interactions.com. 

Where you can find the Component Reports and the Technique Reports.

Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have or just to talk shop.

Explore and Learn from the Students of the Wearables Class at CCA was last modified: April 19th, 2015 by FashioningTech Contributor
April 19, 2015 0 comment
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DIY

Make It Wearable Winners

written by Meg

Drumroll please… The winner of Intel’s Make It Wearable development track is:

Nixie, a wearable, flying selfie-cam!

Yes, the above image is a rendering and at first glance it may look like a bulky piece of hardware, but the latest prototype is rather elegant. This was definitely in my top 3 picks due to the segmented industrial design solution for the arms of the quad-copter wrapping around the wrist.  Hopefully they’ll make some nice images with some of their $500K prize money, but meanwhile, here’s their publicity video:

Congratulations, Team Nixie!

In second place, the heart-warming project from Open Bionics. An open-source, 3D printable robotic hand, filling the need for affordable, customizable prosthetics.

And third place went to ProGlove, a tool to help manufacturing professionals to analyze and augment their work (while looking cool).

There is still time to vote for the fan favorite at votemakeitwearable.com.  Maybe you love one of the top three, but the other seven finalists are well worth checking out:

Wristify

A bracelet that warms or cools the wearer through hyper-localized temperature control. This was originally a student project from MIT – great to see it being taken way beyond a prototype: watch the video.

Snow Cookie

A ski-monitor to mount on your skis and synch with your phone for real-time ski coaching. Ski bunnies will go nuts for this: watch the video.

Blocks

A modular, configurable smart watch where the user chooses between different functionality to build his or her own system. Very clever snap system based on 3.5mm headphone jacks: watch the video.

Babyguard

Baby monitor system for both pre- and postnatal baby monitoring. Super-cute interface design: watch the video.

First V1sion

First person action sports camera integrated into athlete’s clothing.  Great way to capture those thrilling sports moments: watch the video.

Arc Pendant

Navigation necklace and remote control for your life.  A refreshing move away from the wrist: watch the video.

BabyBe

A way for mothers and premature babies to communicate and bond through soft tech.  Really nice example of technology filling a very human need: watch the video.

Make It Wearable Winners was last modified: November 4th, 2014 by Meg
November 4, 2014 0 comment
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DIY

JPG Data Knit Blanket Series from Glitchaus

written by Jeff Donaldson

Some people use online services to have their photos woven or knit, using computer looms and knitting machines just like printers.

Shown here in blue, light blue, red and yellow, this Glitchaus blanket series turns that idea inside out by using picture image data itself as the motif, a process conceived by J.Donaldson in 2011.

Image data of a photo taken around New York City was machine knit at a 1:1 pixel to stitch ratio. This first series is available in six different colour combinations.

Design by J.Donaldson
GLITCHAUS © 2014

JPG Data Knit Blanket Series from Glitchaus was last modified: September 22nd, 2014 by Jeff Donaldson
September 22, 2014 0 comment
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eTextile Exhibition at Summer Camp 2014

written by Meg

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in the tiny French village of Poncé-sur-le-Loir from 28-31 July, you are in for an e-textile treat! As part of the eTextile Summer Camp 2014, there will be an exhibition showcasing some of the work of the participants.

Yellow things, 3D printed textile-friendly component holders by Contrechoc. Photo: Contrechoc

The Summer Camp exhibition at Paillard Contemporary Arts Centre will host a wide range of work, from academically funded research to artistic collaborations and DIY explorations.

The Crying Dress by Kobakant.  Photo: Kobakant

Some works are completely new and will be shown for the first time, while some of them will be more familiar. Definitely some of the most interesting e-textile explorations from the past few years will be on display, and if you’re lucky, you’ll catch the creators as well.  A full list can be found here: http://etextile-summercamp.org/2014/exhibition/

Digital Lace by Sarah Taylor and Sarah Robertson.  Photo: Sarahs Taylor and Robertson

Paillard Art Centre is about 2 hours drive south-west of Paris and its relatively isolated location lends is a special atmosphere where you’ll be able to see some of these works in an intimate setting.

The Human Harp by Di Mainstone with Becky Stewart. Photo: Becky Stewart

The exhibition will open on the evening of 28 July and run only until 31 July, so get it while it lasts!

eTextile Exhibition at Summer Camp 2014 was last modified: July 25th, 2014 by Meg
July 25, 2014 0 comment
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DIY

Extreme Wearables Designathon – Friday

written by FashioningTech Contributor

The Friday night intro to Extreme Wearables Designathon was tonight at the Art Center Wind Tunnel in Pasadena, CA. ABOVE: Syuzi hosting the evening’s activities. BELOW: My team, Light Punishment thinking about ideas. We talked about a Social Collar that enhances your interactions with people around you.

Extreme Wearables Designathon – Friday was last modified: June 28th, 2014 by FashioningTech Contributor
June 28, 2014 0 comment
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DIY

Wearable sculpture critiques online privacy

written by Meg
Both stylish and provocative, x.pose is a “wearable data-driven sculpture” that makes us think twice about how much we reveal about ourselves online. The work is Xuedi Chen’s ITP Thesis 2014, but is made in collaboration with interaction designer and programmer, Pedro Oliveira.

Photo: Roy Rochlin

x.pose is a 3D printed mesh structure framing Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) panels that change opacity to expose more or less of the wearer’s skin. The opacity is controlled via the wearer’s smartphone and reacts to how much private data is being shared. It’s a great example of New Aesthetic, where the digital world leaks into the physical.

Linked via Bluetooth to the wearer’s smartphone, the garment displays how much private data (geolocation, etc) the wearer is sharing. Each part of the sculpture represents a different geographical location, which becomes more and more transparent as more data is exposed.
Not only is this piece both conceptually sound and a technical achievement, it’s accompanied by a well-presented overview on Behance in case you want to dive a bit deeper into the project and process.
Wearable sculpture critiques online privacy was last modified: June 13th, 2014 by Meg
June 13, 2014 0 comment
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DIY

Intel-Sponsored Extreme Wearables Designathon

written by Syuzi Pakhchyan

I’m thrilled to announce the Intel-sponsored Extreme Wearables Designathon taking place at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA June 27-29. 

The Designathon is a three day making fest where multidisciplinary teams of designers, engineers, scientists, storytellers come together to fashion wearable technology prototypes that can truly change lives. 

I, along with a team of experts, will be leading the 3 day making festivities so I hope you can join. If access to 3D printers, free Adafruit Flora Sensor Kits, and sewing machines isn’t enough to wet your appetite, winning teams have the chance to win $1,000 Cash from Intel® Corporation + opportunity to pitch at WearableTechLA + free entry to WearableTechLA + project feature on gizmodo.com

Spaces are limited so register today!! 

Details Below:

Media Design Practices @ Art Center College of Design +

Intel + MakeItWearable presents: 

EXTREME WEARABLES DESIGNATHON

A Fun and Intense 3–Day Wearable Technology Making Fest. 

June 27–29, 2014

Try your hand at designing wearable technology for
extreme conditions that people face now and in the future,
from water scarcity to superhuman sensory perception.

Designers, hackers, researchers, storytellers, and scientists
will come together to design and build working prototypes of
new body-centric products and services.

Winning teams will receive $1,000 and free admission to WearableTechLA where they can
pitch their projects to industry leaders. 

Hosted at: 

Art Center College of Design | South Campus

950 S. Raymond Ave. Pasadena, CA 91105

Registration is free and space is limited. 

Visit artcenter.edu/mdp/events/extremedesignathon/ to learn more

Intel-Sponsored Extreme Wearables Designathon was last modified: June 12th, 2014 by Syuzi Pakhchyan
June 12, 2014 0 comment
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DIY

The Personal Space Dress

written by Syuzi Pakhchyan

What we have been lacking in the last few years since the consumer electronics became enamored by the potential of wearable technology are playful wearable projects with a sense of humor. 

Meet the personal space dress designed by Kathleen McDermott. The dress expands when someone invades your personal space. 

Playful, fun and silly perhaps but who doesn’t love the idea of an animatronic dress. 

DIY tutorial will be available soon.

The Personal Space Dress was last modified: May 8th, 2014 by Syuzi Pakhchyan
May 8, 2014 0 comment
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