Sensors for e-textiles creatives Rain Ashford - http://rainycatz.wordpress.com

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

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

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

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

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

…allowing me create much more elegant work

…incorporating the technology into the design

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

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

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

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’

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

Summary

Exciting time for e-textiles & wearable tech

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

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

Thank you for your attention!

@Rainycat http://rainycatz.wordpress.com

http://Rain Ashford 2012