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9. Wearables

Research

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Wearables are objects you can wear on your body that have added functions beyond clothing. They can sense, react, light up, move, change color, or communicate data.

Think of them as:

Clothes + Technology

Accessories + Interaction

Body + Digital Expression

Wearables can be:

•   Smart jackets that heat up
•   Light-up dresses
•   Soft robotic sleeves
•   Fitness trackers
•   Emotion-sensing jewelry
•   Interactive fashion pieces
•   Medical or health sensors
  • Why Wearables Matter

Wearables help us:

Express ourselves (art + fashion + creativity)

Extend our bodies (exoskeletons, soft robotics)

Stay safe & healthy (heart monitors, posture trackers)

Communicate (LED messages, color-changing materials)

Explore new materials (smart textiles, bioplastics)

  • Key Components of Wearables

A. The Body (Your Canvas) You design for movement, comfort, and interaction. Ask:

•   Where does it sit?

•   How does it move with the body?

•   What reaction do I want? (light, pressure, airflow, sound)

B. The Materials You can use:

•   Fabrics (cotton, mesh, neoprene, lycra)

•   Smart materials (conductive fabrics, thermochromic pigments)

•   Biomaterials (gelatin, bioplastics, natural dyes, silicone)

•   Soft robotics materials (vinyl, silicone, TPU)

C. Electronics (The Brain) Usually includes:

•   Microcontrollers (Lilypad, Arduino, ESP32, Flora)

•   Sensors (touch, stretch, pressure, flex)

•   Actuators (LEDs, motors, pumps, speakers)

•   Conductive threads / conductive fabrics

•   Power (button battery, lithium battery)

Wearables turn the body into a platform for innovation.

Types of Wearables You Can Explore

  1. Interactive Light Wearables

Use LEDs, light strips, or fiber optics to react to movement or touch.

  1. Sensor Wearables

Pieces that sense something and respond. Examples: • Stretch sensors in sleeves • Heart-rate monitor jewelry • Touch-sensitive fabric patches

  1. Soft Robotics Wearables

Inflatable or silicone-based structures attached to the body that move or change shape. Examples: • Inflatable muscles • Pneumatic shape-changing decorations • Air-pumped accessories

  1. Smart Textiles

Textiles that change color, temperature, or texture.

  1. Health & Accessibility Wearables

Assistive technology to help movement or give feedback.

References & Inspiration

  • When starting my wearable project, I wanted to understand not only how wearables work, but also how other designers use technology and materials to create pieces that feel alive, expressive, and connected to the body. These are the main references and inspirations guiding my approach:

  1. Functional & Practical Wearables

I’m inspired by wearables that make everyday life easier — fitness bands, health trackers, and smart clothing. They remind me that technology doesn’t always have to be dramatic; sometimes the best designs are simple, useful, and comfortable.

Key Inspiration:

•   Clean interfaces
•   Soft materials that blend with the skin
•   Light, minimal forms
•   Designs that feel natural to wear

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  1. Modern & Minimalist Aesthetics

I love the idea of technology hiding in simplicity. Minimalist wearables show how powerful a design can be when it’s clean and intentional.

I’m taking inspiration from:

•   Sleek wristbands
•   Soft neutral colors
•   Low-profile sensors and small electronics
•   Smooth forms with no visual clutter

These references help me think about making my wearable look modern and timeless, instead of overly “techy.”

⸻

  1. Personalized & Comfortable Designs

Because wearables live on the body, personal comfort is everything. I looked at examples where designers use fabric, silicone, or flexible materials that adapt to movement.

This inspires me to:

•   Build something that feels soft
•   Consider body movement in my design
•   Make it adjustable and body-friendly
•   Combine aesthetics with comfort

⸻

  1. Innovative & Discreet Technology

I’m also inspired by wearables that hide advanced technology inside small, discreet forms. These pieces show how sensors, LEDs, or actuators can be integrated without making the wearable bulky.

This gave me ideas like:

•   Placing electronics inside pockets or silicone
•   Using thin conductive threads
•   Embedding LEDs inside fabric layers
•   Creating soft robotic shapes that look natural

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  1. Designers & Projects That Inspire Me

Here are the creators whose work influenced my thinking:

•   Anouk Wipprecht – robotic fashion, expressive movement
•   Ying Gao – garments responding to sound and environment
•   Pauline van Dongen – solar wearables + functional tech
•   Iris van Herpen – structural, futuristic silhouettes
•   Soft Robotics Toolkit (MIT) – inflatable and silicone-based movement

Their work helped me understand how wearable technology can be artistic, emotional, functional, or even futuristic.

Headband Earphones

Idea: A soft wearable headband that plays audio like earphones, combining comfort, style, and wireless sound.

Inspiration Sources:

•   Bone conduction speakers for open-ear listening.

•   Sports Bluetooth headbands that hide small speakers in fabric.

•   Flexible electronics (thin batteries + small Bluetooth modules).

•   Textile circuits using conductive thread to keep everything soft.


Tools

Tools

Process and workflow

Code Example

Results

Video

Fabrication files

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