9. Wearables¶
Research¶
Photo from ELE Times
Wearables are technologies designed to be worn on or near the body that integrate electronics, sensors, and digital systems to support interaction, monitoring, communication, or expression. In fashion and textile contexts, wearables often take the form of garments, accessories, or body-adjacent materials that combine traditional textiles with soft electronics, conductive materials, and embedded systems. Designers and researchers use wearables to explore areas such as health monitoring, movement tracking, performance enhancement, and interactive or expressive design. Beyond functionality, wearables also raise important questions about comfort, identity, ethics, and embodiment, encouraging designers to think critically about how technology can be integrated into everyday life in ways that are human-centered, culturally meaningful, and responsive to the body.
References & Inspiration¶
Adidas x Google
Adidas x Google Jacquard is a collaboration that demonstrates how computational textiles can be embedded seamlessly into everyday sportswear. Using Google’s Jacquard technology, conductive yarns are woven directly into the fabric of a jacket sleeve, turning the textile itself into a touch-sensitive interface. Rather than adding visible hardware, the technology remains soft, flexible, and wearable, preserving comfort and aesthetics. The Jacquard sleeve allows users especially cyclists and urban commuters to control music, navigation, and phone functions through simple gestures such as tapping or swiping the fabric. This approach shifts wearable technology away from screens and buttons, emphasizing gesture-based interaction and intuitive use. The project highlights how wearables can enhance performance and safety while remaining unobtrusive. As an example of applied wearable design, Adidas x Google Jacquard bridges fashion, athletics, and human–computer interaction, showing how textiles can function as active interfaces. It serves as a key inspiration for computational couture and e-textiles by proving that smart garments can be scalable, functional, and integrated into real-world use.
Ying Gao
Ying Gao is a Montréal-based fashion designer and researcher whose work focuses on interactive, responsive garments that react to human presence, gaze, sound, and movement rather than direct touch. Her practice sits at the intersection of fashion, technology, philosophy, and performance, using wearables to question how the body communicates with its environment. Unlike many wearable designers who emphasize screens or LEDs, Gao’s garments often rely on subtle mechanical movement, such as unfolding, vibrating, inflating, or shifting surfaces. Using sensors, microcontrollers, and soft actuation, her designs respond when a viewer looks at the garment or speaks near it making the act of observation part of the interaction. This creates a quiet but powerful form of responsiveness that challenges traditional ideas of fashion as static or purely decorative. Gao frequently collaborates with engineers, programmers, and sound artists, and her work is deeply influenced by research and critical theory. Rather than designing for mass production, she treats wearables as experimental interfaces, exploring themes of intimacy, surveillance, perception, and emotional response. Her projects blur boundaries between clothing, installation, and living system.
Photo from yinggao.ca
Tools¶
- Arduino IDE
- Lilypad Protosnap
- Elegoo Uno R3
Create 2 actuator swatches
Servo motor
Schematic Elegoo UNO R3 ┌─────────────────┐ │ │ │ 5V ────────────┼────── Red (Servo Power) │ │ │ GND ────────────┼────── Brown/Black (Servo GND) │ │ │ D9 ────────────┼────── Yellow/Orange (Signal) │ │ └─────────────────┘ | Servo Motor
Using the Arduino IDE with an Elegoo UNO R3 to control a servo motor involves setting up a simple hardware connection and uploading a sketch that sends position commands to the servo. First, the servo is wired to the UNO R3: the red wire connects to 5V, the brown or black wire to GND, and the yellow/orange signal wire to a digital PWM pin (commonly pin 9). This allows the microcontroller to send control pulses that determine the servo’s angle. In the Arduino IDE, the Servo library is used to simplify control. After selecting Board → Arduino Uno and the correct Port, a sketch is written that attaches the servo to the chosen pin and sets its position using degree values (0–180). When the code is uploaded, the servo responds by rotating to the specified angles. This process demonstrates how the Arduino IDE translates simple code into physical movement, reinforcing core concepts such as library usage, pin assignment, and PWM-based control. It serves as an essential foundation for projects involving motion, robotics, and interactive systems.
A servo motor can be controlled using the Elegoo UNO R3 and the Arduino IDE by sending precise position commands through a digital PWM pin. This setup is commonly used in robotics, kinetic design, and interactive systems where controlled movement is required.
The servo has three connections: • Red → 5V (power) • Brown/Black → GND • Yellow/Orange → Digital PWM pin (commonly pin 9)
In the Arduino IDE, the built-in Servo library is used to manage timing and pulse signals automatically. After selecting Board: Arduino Uno and the correct Port, the code is uploaded to the board. The servo is then instructed to rotate to specific angles between 0° and 180°.
Basic Servo Sweep Code (Arduino IDE)
Servo myServo; // Create servo object int servoPin = 9;
void setup() { myServo.attach(servoPin); // Attach servo to pin 9 }
void loop() { myServo.write(0); // Move to 0 degrees delay(1000);
myServo.write(90); // Move to 90 degrees delay(1000);
myServo.write(180); // Move to 180 degrees delay(1000); }
leds
LEDs
Schematic
Arduino UNO 74HC595 --------- --------- 5V ---------------------- 16 (VCC) GND ---------------------- 8 (GND)
D12 (dataPin) ----------- 14 (DS / SER) D9 (clockPin) ----------- 11 (SH_CP / SRCLK) D11 (latchPin) ----------- 12 (ST_CP / RCLK)
5V ---------------------- 10 (MR / SRCLR) [keep HIGH] GND ---------------------- 13 (OE) [keep LOW]
Outputs to LEDs: 15 (Q0) -> 220Ω -> LED -> GND 1 (Q1) -> 220Ω -> LED -> GND 2 (Q2) -> 220Ω -> LED -> GND 3 (Q3) -> 220Ω -> LED -> GND 4 (Q4) -> 220Ω -> LED -> GND 5 (Q5) -> 220Ω -> LED -> GND 6 (Q6) -> 220Ω -> LED -> GND 7 (Q7) -> 220Ω -> LED -> GND
The first image documents the materials stage: an Elegoo Uno R3 microcontroller, breadboard, USB cable, resistors, jumper wires, and a mixed LED kit. This is the preparation phase where all components are organized before building the circuit. The second image shows the assembled circuit. Multiple LEDs are wired in a row on the breadboard, each connected through resistors and jumper wires to the Arduino. The board is powered via USB and appears to be running a test program, likely for LED sequencing or blinking. This setup demonstrates basic circuit principles: power distribution, grounding, resistor protection for LEDs, and digital output control from the microcontroller. Overall, the photos capture the transition from component layout to a functioning prototype, illustrating foundational skills in Arduino wiring, breadboarding, and LED control.
LED Light Show Code (Arduino IDE)
//www.elegoo.com //2016.12.9
int tDelay = 100; int latchPin = 11; // (11) ST_CP [RCK] on 74HC595 int clockPin = 9; // (9) SH_CP [SCK] on 74HC595 int dataPin = 12; // (12) DS [S1] on 74HC595
byte leds = 0; / The most common method of using 74CH595 * lctchPin->LOW : Begin transmitting signals. * shiftOut(dataPin, clockPin, bitOrder, value) * dataPin: the pin on which to output each bit. Allowed data types: int. * clockPin: the pin to toggle once the dataPin has been set to the correct value. Allowed data types: int. * bitOrder: which order to shift out the bits; either MSBFIRST or LSBFIRST. (Most Significant Bit First, or, Least Significant Bit First). * value: the data to shift out. Allowed data types: byte. * lctchPin->HIch : The end of the transmission signal. / void updateShiftRegister() { digitalWrite(latchPin, LOW); shiftOut(dataPin, clockPin, LSBFIRST, leds); digitalWrite(latchPin, HIGH); }
void setup()
{
pinMode(latchPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(dataPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(clockPin, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() { //Turn off all led leds = 0; updateShiftRegister(); delay(tDelay); //Create a for loop:i 0 through 7 have gradually increased for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) { //turn on the led with the i transform bitSet(leds, i); updateShiftRegister(); delay(tDelay); } }
Results¶
Integrate the two soft sensors
The system is powered by a coin cell battery mounted in a sewable battery holder, allowing the swatch to operate independently without external power. Power and ground connections were established using conductive thread, carefully stitched to maintain separation between traces and prevent short circuits. Strain relief stitches were used to protect connection points where rigid components meet soft substrates. The input is a simple soft interaction element (a pressure sensor), constructed using layered conductive materials embedded within the felt structure. When activated, the input sends a signal to the microcontroller, demonstrating user interaction through touch. This input operates as a digital signal, providing a clear on/off state. The output is a single LED, positioned centrally within the swatch to act as a visual indicator. When the input is triggered, the microcontroller processes the signal and activates the LED, creating an immediate and visible response. This reinforces the basic Input → Process → Output logic essential to wearable and soft electronics. Hard–soft connections were achieved by combining sewable electronic components, conductive thread, and soft felt layers. The microcontroller and battery holder remain accessible while being securely integrated into the textile form. The final assembly demonstrates how electronic functionality can be embedded into soft materials without compromising flexibility or wearability.
This attachment combines both analog and digital soft sensors to create interactive behavior. An analog light sensor detects changes in ambient light and triggers the heart LED in darker conditions, while a digital soft switch allows the user to activate or control the interaction through touch. Together, these sensors enable the piece to respond to both environmental conditions and user input, transforming it into a responsive soft system. This wearable was designed as a tactile companion for my daughter, Navy, and is intended to attach to her bookbag. As a child with autism, she benefits from sensory objects that provide comfort and grounding. The plushie functions as a soothing, wearable object that supports emotional regulation throughout the school day.
