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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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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

220Ξ© (ohm) resistor (protects the LED from burning)

  1. Power Source

Battery 3V coin cell

Battery holder

  1. Wires

Small connecting wires

Process and workflow

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

πŸ”§ 2. Preparing the LEDs

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

πŸ”§ 3. Adding Resistors

To protect the LEDs from burning, I connected one 220Ξ© resistor to each LED. β€’ I twisted one end of the resistor onto the long leg (positive) of each LED. β€’ 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.

πŸ”§ 4. Creating the LED Circuit Layout

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

πŸ”§ 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. β€’ I soldered the joint β€’ Covered it using electrical tape / heat-shrink

πŸ”§ 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.

πŸ”§ 7. Insulating the Circuit

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

πŸ”‹ 8. Powering the Circuit

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

My sketches are ...

Results

1ST WAY

SECOND WAY

Soft Sensor Zip

Tools & Materials Zip (attached to fabric) LED Coin cell battery (3V) Conductive thread / copper tape Fabric

βš™οΈ How It Works

This is a basic circuit:

Battery β†’ LED β†’ Zip β†’ back to battery

πŸ‘‰ The zip acts as a switch:

CLOSED (right side) β†’ electricity flows β†’ LED ON OPEN β†’ no connection β†’ LED OFF

Process & Workflow

Step 1: Preparing My Zip I attached the zip to fabric I focused on the right closing side as the trigger

Step 2: Creating Conductive Paths

I used conductive ZIP TEEH One side connected to: Battery (+) Other side connected to: LED

Step 3: Using the Zip as a Sensor I positioned conductive parts so that: When the zip closes β†’ they touch When open β†’ they separate

πŸ‘‰ This turns the zip into a soft switch sensor

Step 4: Completing the Circuit I connected: Battery β†’ LED β†’ Zip β†’ Battery

Experimentation

I tested opening and closing the zip I adjusted the contact points Observations: Full closure β†’ strong light Partial closure β†’ weak or no light

βœ… Results The LED turned ON when I closed the zip on the right side

2ND way

Tools AND workflow

1️⃣ Tools & Materials Needed Electronics

1.Arduino Uno or Arduino Nano

2.MPU-6050 sensor module

3.flexible silicone

4.3 Γ— 220Ξ© resistors

5.Breadboard

6.Jumper wires

7.USB cable

8.Software

9.Arduino IDE

β€œMPU6050” library (installed from Library Manager)

2️⃣Hardware Setup (Wiring Diagram)

A. MPU-6050 β†’ Arduino

MPU-6050 Arduino

VCC β†’ 5V GND β†’ GND SCL β†’ A5 SDA β†’ A4

B. LED Connections

FS1 (+) β†’ D2 through 220Ξ© resistor FS2 (+) β†’ D3 through 220Ξ© resistor FS3 (+) β†’ D4 through 220Ξ© resistor All FS (-) β†’ GND Software Setup FS MEANS flexible silicone

3️⃣Open Arduino IDE

I Install MPU-6050 library: Sketch β†’ Include Library β†’ Manage Libraries β†’ Search β€œMPU6050” β†’ Install

I Connect TO Arduino using USB

Select:

Board: Arduino Nano

Port: I USE COM3 AS MY POT

4️⃣ Code

MPU6050 mpu;

int ledX = 2; int ledY = 3; int ledZ = 4;

void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); Wire.begin(); mpu.initialize();

pinMode(ledX, OUTPUT); pinMode(ledY, OUTPUT); pinMode(ledZ, OUTPUT); }

void loop() { int16_t ax, ay, az, gx, gy, gz;

mpu.getMotion6(&ax, &ay, &az, &gx, &gy, &gz);

// LED1 - X axis tilt if (ax > 2000) digitalWrite(ledX, HIGH); else digitalWrite(ledX, LOW);

// LED2 - Y axis tilt if (ay > 2000) digitalWrite(ledY, HIGH); else digitalWrite(ledY, LOW);

// LED3 - detect shake if (abs(gx) > 15000 || abs(gy) > 15000 || abs(gz) > 15000) { digitalWrite(ledZ, HIGH); delay(200); } else digitalWrite(ledZ, LOW);

delay(50); }

5️⃣Uploading & Debugging

Steps:

Click βœ” Verify

Click ➑ Upload

Open Serial Monitor at 9600 baud

Move the MPU-6050 and watch the values change

Adjust threshold values if LEDs trigger too fast or slow

6️⃣Testing & Calibration

Test 1 – X-Axis Tilt (Left/Right)

Tilt sensor LEFT or RIGHT β†’ FS1 (D2) turns ON

Test 2 – Y-Axis Tilt (Forward/Back)

Tilt sensor FORWARD or BACK β†’ FS2 (D3) turns ON

Test 3 – Shake Detection

Shake sensor quickly β†’ FS3 (D4) BLINKS

Results

Video

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