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9. Wearables

🧠 Research

My research focused on the intersection of fashion and electronics—specifically, how wearables can react to movement, sound, and touch while also embracing aesthetic innovation.

These trace dancers’ movements and send real-time data for analysis. It inspired me to think about how bodily motion and sound can trigger wearable responses, especially in performance or nightlife settings.

This article explores how nanotech enables clothing to adapt to environmental changes (temperature, UV light, etc.). It made me consider future potential for programmable textiles and integrating sensors invisibly.

Highlights how the fashion industry is rapidly adopting wearable tech, not just for function but also for storytelling and branding. I wanted to follow this idea of wearable electronics being both expressive and reactive.

Her work combines code, e-textiles, and performance art. It helped frame my project more as an expressive, narrative object than just a utility-based one.

A beautiful example of memory, emotion, and personal history woven into wearables. It made me consider how electronics can live in garments as a kind of invisible archive.

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✨ References & Inspiration

Her Liquid Corset is a fashion-tech fantasy—tubing, liquids, and volume-reactive shapes. This directly inspired my skirt modification: a wearable sculpture with flowing water and LED color effects. Her “No One Nose” bag pushed me to consider playful function over practicality.

Their glowing cowboy hats and LED accessories were useful references for integrating flexible lighting in fun, event-friendly ways. It reaffirmed that wearables don’t have to be serious—they can be joyful and bold.

  • Charlie Bucket

His fluid dress

Process and workflow

🔊 LED & Sensor Interaction Swatch

For this swatch, I explored interactive lighting using flexible LED filament and two sensors: a touch sensor (TTP223) and a sound sensor (MAX9814). The idea was originally to place the components on a pair of shorts, with the sensors hidden inside the pockets and the flexible LED outlining the pocket edges. Although I didn’t integrate it into a garment, I successfully built and tested the full circuit on a breadboard.

đź’ˇ Concept

Inspired by music-reactive wearables and festival fashion, the goal was to create a swatch that responds to music and touch by lighting up flexible LED filament. It was meant to offer subtle interactivity — glowing softly with music or when the wearer touches the pocket area.

🛠️ Components

  • Flexible LED filament (3V, 300mm)

  • TTP223 capacitive touch sensor

  • MAX9814 sound sensor (with auto gain)

  • Arduino Nano

  • Breadboard + jumper wires

  • USB power (external batteries were unstable for the LED filament)

🔌 Circuit Setup

  • LED: Connected directly to digital pin 3 and GND.

  • Touch sensor: Output connected to digital pin 4.

  • Sound sensor: Output connected to analog pin A0.

All components powered through Arduino Nano (5V and GND).

🧪 Testing

When music plays (above a threshold), the LED flickers to the beat. Touching the sensor also triggers the LED to turn on. The LED switches off when sound falls below the threshold or no touch is detected. (I used serial monitor to debug and adjust sound sensitivity.)

TOUCH SENSOR

SOUND SENSOR

🧠 Learning Notes

Coin cell batteries didn’t provide enough current; I used USB power for stability.

The MAX9814 was very sensitive — I tested in a quiet room for accuracy.

Flexible LED filament worked well without a resistor due to its internal resistance.

Combining inputs required tuning conditions to avoid false triggers.

Code Example
#define LED_PIN 7  
#define TOUCH_PIN 2  
#define SOUND_PIN A0  

int soundThreshold = 400;
int noiseFloor = 300;
int brightness = 0;
int fadeAmount = 10;

bool toggleState = false;
bool lastTouchState = false;

void setup() {
    pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(TOUCH_PIN, INPUT);
    Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
    bool touchState = digitalRead(TOUCH_PIN);

    // Detect toggle on rising edge
    if (touchState == HIGH && lastTouchState == LOW) {
        toggleState = !toggleState;
    }
    lastTouchState = touchState;

    int soundValue = analogRead(SOUND_PIN);
    Serial.print("Sound: ");
    Serial.print(soundValue);
    Serial.print(" | Toggle: ");
    Serial.print(toggleState);
    Serial.print(" | Brightness: ");
    Serial.println(brightness);

    if (toggleState) {
        brightness = 255; // Full brightness
    } else {
        if (soundValue > soundThreshold) {
            brightness = map(soundValue, soundThreshold, 1023, 100, 255);
        } else if (soundValue < noiseFloor) {
            brightness = 0;
        } else {
            brightness -= fadeAmount;
            if (brightness < 0) brightness = 0;
        }
    }

    analogWrite(LED_PIN, brightness);
    delay(30);
}

đź‘— Skirt with Light and Liquid Flow

đź’ˇ Concept

For this wearable, I repurposed the skirt I created in Week 3. The original inspiration came from dragon and reptile scales, with a focus on texture, layering, and movement. To elevate it for the wearables week, I decided to add a kinetic, fluid element to one side of the skirt using liquid-filled tubes and a water circulation system, giving the illusion of life or energy flowing through the garment.

The idea is to simulate veins or a glowing pulse by combining colored water and RGB LEDs underneath the tubing. The water is pumped in a continuous loop with a DC brushless pump, concealed inside a soft pouch attached to the skirt. This wearable emphasizes motion and transformation rather than sensing input, offering a living textile aesthetic.

đź’§ Liquid Circulation Belt Test

Before integrating the water circulation system into the skirt, I tested it as a wearable belt using flexible transparent tubing, a small DC brushless pump, and colored water. This prototype helped me verify how the liquid behaves while worn and whether the tubing would remain stable around the body.

This early setup allowed me to:

  • Confirm the pump could handle the length and curvature of the tube.

  • Evaluate visibility of the colored water in motion.

  • Test how securely the tube could be tied or attached without slipping.

  • From this experiment, I decided to integrate the final tubing system only on one side of the skirt for aesthetics and better fluid control.

🛠️ Materials/⚙️ Technical Setup

🎛️ Components Used:

Pump: Brushless DC (2415-1) powered by 9V battery

LEDs:

  • 1x Flexible LED filament (lime green)

  • 5x SMD 5050 LEDs soldered to copper tape (red & orange)

Microcontroller: Xiao ESP32-S3 Sense

Power: 9V for pump; LEDs powered separately (power bank)

🔌 Circuit & Assembly

The pump is powered by a 9V battery. LEDs are placed beneath the tubes and connected to digital pins on XIAO. The water circulates in a closed loop through tubing to one side of the skirt. All components are mounted at the back of the skirt

COde example
#define FLEX_LED_PIN 2
#define SMD_LED_PIN 3

void setup() {
  pinMode(FLEX_LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(SMD_LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(FLEX_LED_PIN, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(SMD_LED_PIN, HIGH);
  delay(300);
  digitalWrite(FLEX_LED_PIN, LOW);
  digitalWrite(SMD_LED_PIN, LOW);
  delay(300);
}

Results

🪞 Reflection

This week pushed me to combine electronics with design in a wearable format that feels alive and expressive. I originally planned to integrate sensors and LEDs into shorts, and although that part remained on the breadboard, it allowed me to fully explore the technical side without being constrained by textile finishing.

I then focused on integrating both fluid motion and light into my skirt from Week 3. Building a working pump system and using glittered water created a mesmerizing effect. Pairing it with flexible and SMD LEDs elevated the aesthetics and demonstrated how wearables can be both emotional and interactive.

I learned:

How to control different types of LEDs using a microcontroller

How to solder onto copper tape and prototype flexible circuits

The basics of pump control and safe power management

That testing in parts first (like I did with the belt prototype) is crucial before integrating

This assignment also sparked ideas for future reactive wearables—such as using sound or motion to trigger fluid flow or lighting patterns. I’m excited to keep exploring wearables that aren’t just functional, but tell a story on the body.