Introduction to Wearable Technology for CreativesRain Ashford

Dept. Of Computing, Goldsmiths, University of London http://rainycatz.wordpress.com

Agenda Hello! In the beginning… Some favourite examples of wearable technology Maker and Hacker culture’s influence Sewable electronics: LilyPad Arduino Sensors & actuators Three examples of my work Summary points on wearable technology

Hello, my name is Rain and I create interactive wearables and art, working with many flavours of microcontrollers & various components…

Wearable technology of yore: heavy, messy, angular & clunky

In the beginning…

Beam me up Scotty…..sci-fi has a lot to answer for!

But we’re moving on from when wearable tech evoked thoughts of axe grinding cyborgs, serf robots, toasters and space pirates…

The miniaturization of technology has changed how people build & use wearable tech & electronics; they’re no longer comprised of cold, bulky sharp, boxy & ugly components that you might prefer to remain hidden

Meanwhile in real life…

Wearable technology is a diverse area, and can be fashionable, whimsical, fun, practical, arty, serious, protective, interactive, sensing, medical, energy harvesting, communicating, musical and lots more…

Some favourite examples of wearable technology…Sensing: Clothing by Rainbow Winters:

Thunderstorm Dress: lights up to sound

Mondrian & Pettal Dress: thermochromatic reactive to light, colour changing inks

‘Polymer Opal’ Lycra Dress

Energy Harvesting: clothing Energy harnessing space suits, NASA Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology initiative

An in-shoe device designed to harvest the energy that is created by walking, and store it for use in mobile electronic devices

In-shoe device: University of Wisconsin-Madison

The suits incorporate piezoelectric zinc-oxide nanowires which creates a charge in response to physical strain like bending or twisting, which could be used to charge the suit’s electronics

Medical: Epidermal Electronics 1960s wearable insulin pump

Monitors electrophysiological signals associated with the heart, other muscles and brain activity

Electronic tattoo, University of Illinois

2012 artificial pancreas & insulin pumps in development as shown by Gil de Paula of Pancreum at WT Conference 2012

3D Printing: Fashion

The N12 was designed using Rhino 3D CAD software and specially written algorithmic script to create the structure of the 3D printed fabric. The algorithm uses a complex 'circle packing' equation on an arbitrarily doubly curved surface (the bikini).

The first fully printed 3D bikini by Continuum Fashion, printed in nylon 12 and available to be printed to order from Continuum’s Shapeways shop

Andreia Chaves’ printed shoes

Self Monitoring: wearable devices

A selection of wearable self-monitoring devices initially made popular by Quantified Self movement, Fitbit, Nike Fuel, NuMetrex, Wakemate, Zeo, Jawbone-UP, Philips, NeuroSky Mindwave

The growth of hacker / maker culture & communities has inspired a new group of creatives to evolve and enter the tech industries

Hacker & Maker Culture’s influence on Creativity

..a convergence of readily available electronic components, shared knowledge through communities and open source approaches to technology has broken barriers to learning & creativity

New Business Opportunities & Online Communities

For me, the availability of sewable electronics & e-textiles has revolutionised the way I and many other artists & designers work

Sewable Electronics

..plus the styling of some of these components has made them more attractive to work with

…allowing me create much more elegant work

…incorporating the technology into the design

The LilyPad!Pin 1 - TX/D1Pins 2,3,4 - D2, D3, D4Pin 5 - GND or "-" (ground)Pin 6 - VCC or "+" (power)Pins 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 - D5 through to D13Pins 16,17,18,19,20,21 - A0 through to A5 (analog pins)

The Arduino IDE comes with access to tons of sketch libraries which are all open source and easily downloadable into your editor to use as they are, or customise to your specific needs and great for people just starting out with programming.

LilyPad ArduinoMicrocontroller

Conductive Thread E-Textiles C (ish) Programming Sensors Actuators Hacked Electronics Conductive items

Wearables Sound Artworks Games All Interactive

What I combine with it:

To make:

The availability of sensors in particular that allowed me to bring my ideas to fruition

Sensors…

..plus there’s lots of information out there on how to make your own!

DIY Sensors (and actuators)!

Components: Sensors vs. ActuatorsA sensor is an input device / an actuator an output device

Sensors Input: stimulus / A physical

quantity, property, or condition which is measured

Output: electrical signal - current, voltage, phase, frequency

Variations: output can sometimes be displacement: thermometers, magnetostrictive and piezoelectric sensors. Some sensors combine sensing *and* actuation.

Actuators Input: electrical signal - current,

voltage, phase, frequency, etc, Output: mechanical (force,

pressure, displacement) or display function (light, display, dial indication, etc)

LEDs LCD / OLED Display Servos Motors Piezoelectric buzzers Speakers

Electroluminescent Wire Electroluminescent

Panels

Actuatorsfor wearable technology include…

Optical, Light & Sound Temperature & Humidity Energy Harvesting Radiation / Environment Heart Rate Proximity / object

detection Gas & Liquid / Chemical Inertial Biosensor

GPS Compass / magnetic field Weight Pressure / Force RFID Electric Current /

Potential Touch WiFi EEG

Sensorsfor wearable technology include…

In my research I’m starting to note key areas of sensor & actuator usage, against groups & areas of usage…

Sensors, actuators, industry and creatives - bringing it all together

Hacking existing tech & combining sensors has allowed me to make pieces such as ‘You Make My <3 Flutter’: a proximity detecting, heart rate sensing ‘techlace’ visualising physical signs

And for looking at social interaction -‘Yr In Mah Face’: temperature /mood sensing t-shirt - uses Celsius temperature data from a sensor, averages it, then visualises the results via LEDs.

I’m also interested in practical uses - Don’t Break My Heart is a wearable, colour-coded distance warning system prototype for cyclists to wear on their back

LilyPad Arduino Microcontroller

• Fabulousness

It’s sewable! It’s open source – you can find

the Eagle files & free code libraries online / with IDE

Good number of digital & analogue I/O

Great vector for encouraging girls/ boys /adults/ artists /anyone / to experience electronics

It’s round (dismisses the idea that electronics are sharp grey and cold)

Enthusiastic & helpful community

• My wish list

An industrial version Make it cheaper More modules please Different sizes and shapes of

board Choice of microcontrollers Variable voltages More competitors, to increase

innovation (Flora, Seeedstudio) Development of washable

conductive thread

Summary: exciting time for e-textiles & wearable tech

Availability of sewable electronics is revolutionising the work of artists & designers

Self-monitoring movement i.e. Quantified Self is pushing wearable tech into the mainstream

Hackspaces & online communities are helping demystify electronics & coding

Open Source ethos is sharing & making knowledge more accessible

Small Maker start-ups are changing the face of tech entrepreneurs

Sewable electronics are inspiring a broader demographic to become interested in electronics & coding

School age students are investigating electronics & code via e-textiles and wearable tech

Summary: wearable tech will be improved by

Necessity for more standards and classifications

Sustainability – recycling, reusing, repurposing - supply chain isn’t yet set up for wearable tech

A lot of focus on the technology, but not enough on what the consumer wants: design, uses, size

Marketing focus – sales, dissemination, tech know how - how do we help the public understand and use?

Developments in battery / power supply tech: less bulky, better longevity, lighter, comfortable

Washable circuits, sensors and microcontrollers – to gain acceptability they need robustness and logivity

Thank you for your attention!

@Rainycat http://rainycatz.wordpress.com

Rain Ashford 2012