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9. Wearables

Research

This week at Fabricademy focused on the exploration of wearable technologies through the fusion of fashion, electronics, and biomaterials. The main goal was to understand how to integrate sensors, microcontrollers, and soft circuits into garments or accessories that interact with the body and the environment.

The vision behind wearable computing foresees future electronic systems to be an integral part of our everyday outfits. Such electronic devices have to meet special requirements concerning wearability. Wearable systems will be characterized by their ability to automatically recognize the activity and the behavioral status of their own user as well as of the situation around her/him, and to use this information to adjust the systems‘ configuration and functionality (Stoppa and Chiolerio, 2014).

Fig. 1 M. Stoppa & A. Chiolerio, 2014

Wearable Electronics and Smart Textiles: A Critical Review

Wearable electronics are emerging as a key platform for developing next-generation electronic devices that are more compatible with the human body. To meet this demand, a new generation of devices is needed—ones that offer multiple functions while adapting effectively to the body's shape and movement. This new class of wearable technology includes components such as displays, sensors, and batteries, all of which operate under unique conditions when placed on or inside the human body.

Despite significant progress, the electrical performance and functional features of current e-textile systems remain below the standards required for widespread consumer use. To address these limitations, researchers have introduced innovative structural designs, novel functional materials, and advanced manufacturing technologies. Recent studies report major improvements in both optoelectronic and mechanical properties. However, several challenges remain, and effective strategies are needed to fully realize the potential of e-textile systems in practical applications.

Fig. 2 J. Sang Heo, J. Eom, K. Yong-Hoon, P. Sung Kyu

Recent Progress of Textile-Based Wearable Electronicsk


Tools

Process and workflow

My sketches are ...

This schematic [^1] was obtained by..

This tutorial [^2] was created using..

footnote fabrication files

Fabrication files are a necessary element for evaluation. You can add the fabrication files at the bottom of the page and simply link them as a footnote. This was your work stays organised and files will be all together at the bottom of the page. Footnotes are created using [ ^ 1 ] (without spaces, and referenced as you see at the last chapter of this page) You can reference the fabrication files to multiple places on your page as you see for footnote nr. 2 also present in the Gallery.

Code Example

Use the three backticks to separate code.

// the setup function runs once when you press reset or power the board
void setup() {
  // initialize digital pin LED_BUILTIN as an output.
  pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
}

// the loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);   // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
  delay(1000);                       // wait for a second
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);    // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
  delay(1000);                       // wait for a second
}

Results


Fig. 1


Fig. 2


Fig. 3


Video

Conclusion

This week helped me merge my background in biotechnology with creative technologies, experimenting with conductive fabrics, LEDs, and microcontrollers. It was a key moment for linking the human body, emotion, and materiality—especially in the context of my final project, which explores what it means to be human through biomaterials and sound.

References & Inspiration