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5. E-textiles

Research

textiles lunative

Those image shows an early exploration of e-textiles, focusing on how electronics can be integrated into fabric. You can see a combination of textile materials and conductive elements such as threads, sensors, and small components. The setup highlights how soft materials can host electronic circuits, enabling interaction through touch, movement, or embedded light. The visual arrangement suggests an experimental approach: testing connections, understanding how fabric behaves with electronics, and learning how to embed technology inside wearable or flexible materials.

References & Inspiration

These references helped me understand how other designers integrate electronics into soft materials, especially how they hide components, design aesthetic circuit paths, and combine craft with technology.

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  • reference

Tools

. Soldering iron (25–40W is enough)

. Solder wire (lead-free or normal 60/40)

. Soldering stand

COMPONENTS NEEDED

  1. Red LED / Red Bulb

3V to 5V LED (common red LED)

  1. Resistor

220Ω (ohm) resistor (protects the LED from burning)

  1. Power Source

Battery 3V coin cell

Battery holder

  1. Wires

Small connecting wires

Process and workflow

🔧 1. Collecting Tools and Materials To create the circuit with four LEDs, I prepared the following tools and components: • 4 Red LEDs • 4 Resistors (220Ω each) • 1 Battery 3Vwith a battery holder • Soldering iron • Solder wire • Connecting wires • Wire stripper • Electrical tape / heat-shrink tube

🔧 2. Preparing the LEDs

Each red LED has two legs: • Long leg — Positive (+) • Short leg — Negative (–) I first separated all four LEDs and identified their positive and negative legs.

🔧 3. Adding Resistors

To protect the LEDs from burning, I connected one 220Ω resistor to each LED. • I twisted one end of the resistor onto the long leg (positive) of each LED. • Then I soldered the connection to make it strong and stable. This means each LED now has its own resistor, which ensures equal brightness and safety.

🔧 4. Creating the LED Circuit Layout

After attaching the resistors, I arranged the four LEDs in the layout I wanted. You can arrange them: • In series (one after another) • In parallel (all positive together, all negative together) ⭐ For bright and stable light, I connected them in parallel.

🔧 5. Connecting the Positive Side

I joined the free end of all four resistors together and connected them to the positive wire (red wire) from the battery holder. • I soldered the joint • Covered it using electrical tape / heat-shrink

🔧 6. Connecting the Negative Side

I connected all negative legs (short legs) of the LEDs together. Then I soldered a black wire from the battery holder to this negative joint.

🔧 7. Insulating the Circuit

After all soldering was complete, I covered: • Exposed metal • LED joints • Wire joints Using heat-shrink tubing and electrical tape to avoid short circuits.

🔋 8. Powering the Circuit

Finally, I placed the battery in the holder. If connections are correct: ✅ All four LEDs light up smoothly ✅ Brightness is equal ✅ No flickering

My sketches are ...

Results

Video

From Vimeo