5. E-textiles¶
Research¶
E-textiles, or electronic textiles, are fabrics that integrate digital components and electronics directly into the material. These textiles merge fashion design, engineering, and technology, enabling garments to sense, react, and communicate with the wearer or environment. From light-up performance costumes to biometric fitness shirts, e-textiles represent the intersection of creativity and science in modern fashion.
Early Research Foundations
The foundation of e-textiles can be traced back to research collaborations between MIT Media Lab, NASA, and universities in Europe and Japan in the 1990s. Their goal was to create wearable computers that could collect and transmit data without hindering comfort or mobility. Early experiments used conductive threads, microcontrollers, and soft circuits sewn into clothing. This period gave rise to the idea that garments could serve as both fashion statements and interfaces for technology inspiring new disciplines like wearable computing and smart fabrics.
Innovations Driving the Field
Research in e-textiles continues to expand across multiple domains: • Conductive Materials: Silver-coated fibers, graphene, and carbon nanotubes make it possible to conduct electricity while remaining soft and washable. • Energy Generation: Solar-powered fibers and kinetic-energy textiles allow garments to self-charge or power small devices. • Health and Wellness: E-textiles now monitor heart rate, respiration, muscle activity, and hydration, often connected to smartphone apps for real-time analysis. • Fashion and Performance: Designers use LED threads and flexible circuits to create garments that light up, change color, or respond to sound and motion.
References & Inspiration¶
Hussein Chalayan
A pioneer in techno-fashion, Chalayan’s collections have featured transforming garments — dresses that change shape, light up, or move autonomously using embedded motors and sensors. His work explores identity, migration, and movement through technology as performance art.
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Photo from www.waldemeyer.com
CuteCircuit
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Photo from CuteCircuit.com
This London-based brand creates interactive LED garments and social media–connected clothing. Their iconic “Twitter Dress” displayed live tweets across an illuminated textile surface. Celebrities such as Katy Perry and Nicole Scherzinger have worn their pieces on stage.
Pauline van Dongen
A Dutch designer blending functionality and sustainability, van Dongen has produced solar-powered jackets, illuminated running gear, and textiles that harvest energy. Her work shows how wearable technology can enhance everyday life.
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Photo from Pauline van Dongen.com
Tools¶
- Arduino IDE
- Lilypad Protosnap
My sketches are ...
Process and workflow¶
Arduino IDE
Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is the software you use to:
✅ Write code ✅ Check (compile) code ✅ Upload code to Arduino/LilyPad boards
It’s the interface between thw computer and the microcontroller on a board... i.e., LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus
How to Upload 1. Tools → Board → LilyPad Arduino USB 2. Tools → Port → select LilyPad 3. Click Verify ✔️ 4. Click Upload ➡️
Analog soft sensor Pressure changes resistance → Arduino reads a range (0–1023).
Materials • Velostat (pressure-sensitive plastic) • Aluminum foil • Green felt • 10kΩ resistor • Alligator clips • Multimeter
Build (sandwich) 1. Cut: • 2 conductive fabric squares (ex: 1.5” × 1.5”) • 1 Velostat square (same size) 2. Stack: • Velostat / aluminum foil 3. Stitch one conductive fabric to +5V path, the other to A0 path. 4. Add the 10kΩ resistor from A0 to GND (this makes a voltage divider). 5. Add felt on both sides and stitch around edges to keep layers aligned.
Digital soft sensor Acts like a button made of fabric: pressed = ON, released = OFF. This is the digital sensor because it outputs HIGH/LOW. We test the Lilypad Protosnap with the Blink code through Arduino IDE.
Materials • Foam strip • LED • Self-adhesive copper tape • 3 V coin battery • Self-adhesive Velcro tabs
Build Build • Prepare the Foam strip- Cut a strip of foam long and wide enough to fit around the wrist comfortably • Attach the LED- Insert the LED light through the foam and fold the leads flat on the back • Form the Battery Pouch- Use copper tape and a small foam rectangle to build a pouch that holds the coin battery and makes electrical contact with both LED leads • Close the Bracelet- Use Velcro tabs to close the battery pouch and fasten the ends of the bracelet so it fits securely • Wear and Test- Place the battery in the pouch (positive side to positive lead, negative to negative) and secure the bracelet and the LED should light when the circuit is complete
Integrate the two soft sensors into one or two textile swatches using hard soft connections
My sketches are ...
This hand-drawn sketch represents the initial concept for a soft, wearable plush swatch designed to integrate basic electronics within a textile form. The character-based silhouette establishes both the aesthetic identity and the functional layout of the piece. Facial features (eyes and nose) define the front-facing interaction area, while the lower central section is reserved for electronic components. The sketch includes labeled positions for the LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus RGB LED pins (6, A7, A8), indicating early planning for color-based light output and circuit routing. This placement reflects intentional separation between expressive elements (face) and technical elements (electronics), supporting clarity and accessibility during fabrication.
Test Code¶
The Arduino IDE Blink test was used to verify basic functionality of the LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus before integrating it into a soft electronic swatch. The test confirms that the board is properly powered, recognized by the Arduino IDE, and capable of running uploaded code. Using the Arduino IDE, the LilyPad Arduino USB board was selected along with the correct serial port. A simple Blink sketch was uploaded to the ProtoSnap, targeting the onboard green LED (pin A7). The program turns the LED on and off at timed intervals, creating a visible blinking pattern. When the LED blinked successfully, it confirmed: • Correct board and port selection • Successful code compilation and upload • Proper power delivery and microcontroller operation • Functional LED output pin
The example of the blink code is below.
// LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus - Blink Test
void setup() { pinMode(A7, OUTPUT); }
void loop() { digitalWrite(A7, HIGH); // LED ON delay(1000); // wait 1 second digitalWrite(A7, LOW); // LED OFF delay(1000); // wait 1 second }
Results¶
Code
The Color Mixing Lamp project was used to explore how the Arduino IDE and LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus can control multiple outputs to create interactive visual effects. In this project, the onboard RGB LEDs on the ProtoSnap (red, green, and blue channels) were programmed to mix colors by varying their brightness levels. Using the Arduino IDE, each LED channel was assigned to a specific pin on the ProtoSnap (typically R = pin 6, G = A7, B = A8). The sketch uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) with analogWrite() to control the intensity of each color. By adjusting the brightness values of red, green, and blue, different colors—such as purple, cyan, yellow, and white—are produced. This project demonstrates key concepts in wearable electronics and physical computing, including: • How RGB color mixing works using additive light • Using multiple outputs from a microcontroller • Applying PWM to smoothly control LED brightness • Translating digital code into visual, interactive feedback
The example of the color mixing lamp code is below...
int ledPins[] = {5, 6, 9, 10, 11, A7};
void setup() { for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) { pinMode(ledPins[i], OUTPUT); } }
void loop() { for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) { digitalWrite(ledPins[i], HIGH); delay(400); digitalWrite(ledPins[i], LOW); delay(200); } }
For the input, a simple soft sensor (such as a pressure-based contact or touch interaction) was integrated into the felt structure. This input provides a digital signal to the microcontroller, allowing the system to detect user interaction. The sensor is connected using a combination of conductive thread and onboard sew tabs, bridging soft textile materials with rigid electronic components. The output is a single LED, positioned at the center of the swatch to act as a visual response. When the input is activated, the microcontroller processes the signal and triggers the LED, creating a clear cause-and-effect interaction. This demonstrates a basic Input → Process → Output logic within a wearable context. Hard–soft connections were achieved by sewing conductive thread to the LilyPad’s sew pads while maintaining strain relief and separation between power and ground lines. This hybrid approach allows rigid electronics to coexist with soft materials without compromising wearability or circuit integrity. Overall, this swatch functions as a proof-of-concept wearable sample, showing how microcontrollers can be embedded into textiles to create responsive systems.
