9. Wearables¶
Inspiration¶
1. Hussein Chalayan¶
Hussein Chalayan is a British–Turkish Cypriot fashion designer celebrated for blending technology, architecture, and conceptual storytelling in his collections. His work often turns garments into mechanical or digital sculptures - dresses that morph shape, dissolve, or project light and film. Known for his intellectual approach, Chalayan uses fashion as a medium to explore themes like migration, identity, and the body’s relationship with technology, making him one of the most influential pioneers of tech-driven couture.
2. Ying Gao - All Mirrors¶
Ying Gao - All Mirrors (2019) is a mesmerising series of robotic garments that explore observation, perception, and the gaze. Each piece is embedded with motion sensors and tiny actuators, causing the fabric to quiver, ripple, or subtly expand when someone looks at it - as if the clothing itself becomes aware of being watched. Gao uses this poetic interaction to question how technology mediates our visibility and vulnerability, turning the act of seeing and being seen into a living, reflective performance.
Ying Gao: 2 5 2 6 : Robotic garments that simulate the effects of virtual clothing (2021)¶
This project features robotic garments that recreate the fluid, gravity-defying movement of virtual fashion in the real world. Using soft robotics and responsive materials, the pieces inflate, twist, and hover around the body like digital simulations brought to life - a poetic reflection on how the boundaries between physical and virtual identities are dissolving.
Ying Gao: (No)Where NowHere: Interactive garments responding to voice (2013)¶
A pair of ethereal garments made from photoluminescent textiles that react to the sound of human voices. When someone speaks, the fabric stirs, illuminating and shifting as though it’s breathing in conversation. Gao transforms everyday speech into a sculptural, sensory experience - a meditation on presence, interaction, and the invisible dialogue between body and environment.
The body is a place of memory. The body remembers every smell, every taste, every sight, every touch, and every sound. Only what you perceive, you know, the rest is imagination. Folding Frequencies explores the concept of body, materiality, time and space with a direct investigation of sound and textile as existential patterns.The work is the science of enhancing perception via sublimation print on woven light-weight organza, laser cut, hand stitch, Faraday's law, and electro-magnetics. A dance of electromagnetic forces choreographed via frequency fluctuations. The physical force of sound becomes apparent by its material presence, rather than by its perception via the ear canal. The augmented organza sweeps via sound ripples in ever incoming waves of time. Folding Frequencies is an ongoing series focused on the exploration of metareality,rooted in a desire to understand the universe all around us via energy, frequency and vibration.
Research Insights: Haptics, Emotion & Interaction in Wearable Tech¶
1. MYSA - The Anxiety-Support Vest by Pauline Von Dongen¶
Theme: Emotional regulation through haptics
MYSA shifts wearables from data collectors to emotional companions. The design begins with the question:
“What does a young woman need during a panic attack?”
The answer: presence.
The vest uses gentle vibration motors to guide breathing, ground the user, and create a sense of reassurance.
Key Learnings:
- Haptics can regulate, not just notify.
- Emotional design starts with listening to lived experiences.
- Softness, consistency, and comfort matter more than tech spectacle.
Design Takeaway:
Wearables become most powerful when they behave like a supportive companion.
2.Issho - The Haptic Denim Jacket** by Pauline Von Dongen¶
Theme: Presence through subtle touch
Issho explores how clothing can bring the wearer back into the moment. A small vibration mimics a gentle stroke on the upper back, encouraging mindfulness in daily life.
Key Learnings:
- Haptics can be ambient, quiet, and intimate.
- Materiality (like denim) can support integrated electronics naturally.
- Behavior-driven responses help create a “dialogue” between body and garment.
3. Nadi X - Tech-Enabled Yoga Pants**¶
Theme: Guiding the body with feedback loops
Nadi X uses haptic signals to teach alignment during yoga practice. Sensors detect pose accuracy, and vibrations act like a tiny instructor woven into the fabric.
Key Learnings:
- Haptic guidance feels intuitive and personal.
- Sensor placement must follow muscle lines and stretch directions.
- Feedback timed to movement creates seamless learning.
Design Takeaway:
Use haptics to improve body awareness-posture, breath, and balance.
4. Levi’s × Google - Jacquard Jacket**¶
Theme: Touch gestures as a soft interface
Jacquard turns the sleeve into an interactive surface. With conductive threads, simple gestures-tap, swipe, brush—control music, navigation, or notifications.
Key Learnings:
- Fabric can act as a functional interface.
- Touch gestures become a new, intuitive language.
- Personalisation (gesture → function mapping) is essential.
Design Takeaway:
Clothing can replace screens when gestures feel natural and customisable.
Cross-Project Insights¶
A. Haptics are becoming emotional tools, not alerts.¶
Each project uses vibration to calm, guide, or reassure-the emotional spectrum of haptics is widening.
B. Touch is being rediscovered as communication.¶
After years of screen-first design, these wearables show how touch can reconnect people to themselves and others.
C. The body becomes both sensor and interface.¶
Yoga pants correct posture, jackets give emotional cues, sleeves control devices-the skin is the new UX surface.
D. Materials shape the technology.¶
Denim, knit, and soft vest fabrics each demand different electronic strategies. The textile drives the tech, not the reverse.
E. The most impactful wearables feel like companions.¶
Calm, subtle, supportive garments are the future-less gadget, more gentle presence.
Making a MOSFET Circuit (Tools, Steps & Testing)¶
To build the MOSFET circuit, I used the ESF board as the base and created conductive paths using copper tape. The MOSFET sits at the centre of the board with its three legs connected to separate copper traces: Gate, Drain, and Source.
Tools¶
- ESF board
- Copper tape
- N-channel MOSFET
- Soldering iron + solder
- Wire cutters
- Multimeter (continuity mode)
- Jumper wires for Arduino
Method¶
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Prepare the circuit layout
I placed wide copper tape strips on the board to form the power line, ground line, and actuator line. These act as the conductive tracks. -
Place and solder the MOSFET
The MOSFET legs were positioned over the tape and soldered carefully: - Gate → Arduino control pin
- Drain → Actuator
- Source → Ground
I made sure the solder connected each leg cleanly to the copper tape without touching neighbouring traces.
-
Add power and signal connections
The actuator’s positive wire goes directly to the power line.
The negative wire runs through the MOSFET so it can switch on/off from the Arduino. -
Check for shorts
Before powering anything, I checked that no copper tape strips were touching or bridged by solder.
Testing With the Multimeter¶
- I set the multimeter to continuity mode (beep mode).
- Touched the probe to:
- MOSFET leg → copper tape → connection wire
- If it beeps, the connection is good.
- Then I checked between Gate-Drain-Source to ensure there were no accidental bridges.
- Once everything was clean, I plugged it into the Arduino and tested the switching.
This simple method creates a functional MOSFET driver board using soft-circuit materials and
ESP board¶
Flip dots - Electromagnets¶
Thermochromic inks¶
Thermochromic Pigment Tests¶
For these samples I worked with pure thermochromic pigment mixed into either water or fabric paint to create a simple brush-on color-changing surface. The goal was to test how the pigment behaves on fabric when exposed to different kinds of heat.
Ingredients¶
- Thermochromic pigment (purple, pink, and black)
- Water (for very light washes)
- Fabric paint or acrylic binder (for stronger color and adhesion)
- Scrap fabrics (cotton and jersey)
Method¶
- Mixing
I added a small amount of pigment into a dish and mixed it with: - Water for a translucent effect
-
Fabric paint for an opaque, durable coating
-
Application
Using a brush, I painted the mixtures directly onto fabric squares.
Each fabric reacted differently depending on how absorbent it was. -
Drying
The samples were hung on a line to dry completely before testing.
Heat Testing¶
To see how the pigments changed, I used two types of heat:
1. Hot tea¶
Holding a warm cup under the fabric caused the pigment to fade and reveal the underlying color.
This worked especially well on the lighter mixtures.
2. Copper wire + battery¶
I connected copper wire to a small battery to create a heated line.
Touching or hovering the wire near the fabric caused:
- sharp lines of color change
- fast transitions
- more dramatic shifts on paint-heavy samples
Effect¶
When heated, the pigment becomes transparent, temporarily revealing the base fabric or paint beneath.
When cooled, the original color slowly returns.
This simple setup—pigment + water/paint + heat source—creates a playful, reactive textile that changes with touch, breath, warm drinks, or soft circuitry.
Conductive Fabric Speaker¶
Using a fabric coil + magnet + Arduino
What You Need¶
- Piece of fabric (the harder the fabric the louder the speaker)
- Thin copper wire or conductive thread
- 1 × strong magnet (e.g. neodymium coin magnet)
- Arduino (e.g. Uno)
- MOSFET or small amplifier board (optional but safer for louder sound)
- Alligator clips / jumper wires
- Power source for Arduino (USB or battery)
Method - Building the Fabric Speaker¶
- Make the coil on fabric
- Wrap the copper wire or conductive thread into a flat spiral on the fabric.
- Start in the centre and work outwards like a snail shell.
-
Leave two loose ends so you can connect to the Arduino.
-
Fix the coil in place
- Stitch, glue, or tape the spiral so it doesn’t move.
-
Make sure turns of the coil don’t touch each other (no short circuits).
-
Add the magnet
- Place the magnet directly behind the centre of the coil (other side of the fabric).
-
Tape or glue it so it stays aligned with the spiral.
-
Wire it to the Arduino (simple low-power version)
- One end of the coil → Arduino pin 9 (through a jumper or alligator clip).
- Other end of the coil → GND on the Arduino.
- Keep the wires short so you don’t lose too much power.
If you want it louder, put a MOSFET or audio amp between Arduino pin 9 and the coil, but the logic is the same: Arduino pin 9 sends the signal → amp/MOSFET → fabric coil.
- Upload the Arduino code (below) and power the Arduino.
What Happens (in simple terms)¶
- The Arduino sends a fast on–off signal (a square wave) into the fabric coil.
- Current through the spiral creates a changing magnetic field.
- This field pushes and pulls against the magnet underneath.
- The fabric + coil start to vibrate, and those vibrations move the air.
- Our ears pick up these air vibrations as sound - your fabric becomes a speaker.
Arduino Code Example¶
Tutorial to get board working¶
Tutorial to get boards working
Fabric speakers¶
- My speaker with copper wire - lazy edition.
- Maddies neat speaker - louder as they are closer together.
- Kim's condutive thread speaker - quiet due to being less conductive than copper.
Audio of the speakers¶
Kim tested out with conductive ink, and it unfortunately didn't work.
Conclusion - How to Make the Fabric Speaker Better.¶
- Use a stronger neodymium magnet for more powerful vibration.
- Make the coil tighter and more precise, with more turns.
- Add a small audio amplifier instead of driving it directly from the Arduino.
- Stretch the fabric on a frame or embroidery hoop to improve resonance.
- Keep coil wires short and low-resistance for stronger signal output.
Sounds¶
Function to use to make sound with a speaker
Embroidery¶
Turtlestitch - code-to-embroidery platform
Embird - embroidery conversion & editing software
Touch sensor with LED¶
Arduino Touch Sensor Code (Simple Capacitive Touch)¶
```cpp // Simple Capacitive Touch Sensor // Connect a 1M resistor between sendPin and receivePin // Your touch pad connects to receivePin
int sendPin = 4; int receivePin = 2;
void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); pinMode(sendPin, OUTPUT); pinMode(receivePin, INPUT); }
long readTouch() { long total = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < 30; i++) { digitalWrite(sendPin, HIGH); total += pulseIn(receivePin, HIGH, 3000); digitalWrite(sendPin, LOW); }
return total; }
void loop() { long touchValue = readTouch();
Serial.print("Touch sensor value: "); Serial.println(touchValue);
// Trigger when touched (adjust threshold as needed) if (touchValue > 1000) { Serial.println("TOUCHED!"); }
delay(50); }
Thermochromic ink with embroidered conductive thread - Tajah¶
Playing with a mushroom¶
Reading the bio-electrons in a mushroom¶
Reading the Arduino board¶
Playing with Fungi - allowing the vibrations in the fungi to control the vibration motor¶
Reading the arduino board¶
Future Ideas: Plants, Fungi & Bio-Electrons → Motion in Wearables¶
1. Plant Bio-Signals → Soft Actuation¶
- Use electrodes to read tiny voltage changes in plants (electrochemical signals).
- Send these signals into an Arduino and translate them into pneumatic pulses or vibration motors in a garment.
- The plant becomes a “co-author” of the motion - a living controller.
2. Fungal Mycelium as a Bio-Sensor¶
- Mycelium’s electrical spikes (action-potential-like waves) can trigger shape-memory wire, servo tension, or inflation bladders.
- The fungi’s internal “conversations” create slow, organic fabric movements.
3. Listening to the Underground¶
- Use soil moisture, root electrical signaling, or microbial activity as real-time inputs.
- Modules convert underground “waves of communication” into:
- gentle expansions
- ripples
- breathing movements
- The garment literally listens to life beneath the surface.
4. Sonic Materiality → Motion Translation¶
- Capture audio frequencies (low, mid, high) with a microphone sensor.
- Map each frequency range to a different fabric motion:
- bass → inflation
- mid → vibration
- treble → flutter or micro-movements
- The wearable becomes a physical equalizer you can feel.
5. Bio-Fabrication + Motion-Responsive Textures¶
- Grow materials (bacterial cellulose, mycelium leather) that hold embedded channels or pockets.
- Introduce air pulses, servo tension lines, or thermochromic patches that react when bio-electrical input crosses a threshold.
6. Plant-Driven Pattern Evolution¶
- Use plant electrical activity to control embroidery patterns over time.
- Each spike = new stitch direction, density, or path.
- Produces a “living data” textile that grows visually as the plant communicates.
Could I Hack a Sewing Machine to Sew Patterns From Frequencies?¶
I think it's possible.
Here’s how:
- Use a motor driver and servo to steer the needle or fabric feed.
- Convert sound frequencies into commands for:
- stitch direction
- stitch length
- embroidery path
- Low frequencies = slow curves
- High frequencies = jittery, tight patterns
- You essentially create a “wave-controlled embroidery plotter” that draws sound.
This becomes a hybrid of bio-data, sound, and textile machinery - a perfect match for sonic materiality.
7. Bio-Electrons as a Wearable Input Language¶
- Instead of step counters or heart monitors, the wearable reads signals from other organisms.
- Plants + fungi become collaborators whose electrical pulses create:
- subtle garment movement
- expanding chambers
- shifting textures
- colour transformations (thermochromic or electrochromic)
The result: a wearable that doesn’t just sense the body - it senses the world.