E-textiles¶
1. Lecture¶
What are electronic textiles?¶
They are fabrics that have electronic components, circuits, and conductive materials built directly into them.
What is a circuit?¶
An electrical circuit is like a closed path through which electricity travels to transport and transform energy.
It consists of a power source, which provides the energy; a path, the route through which the electricity flows; and a load or output, which is the physical result of the circuit connection.
3 basics
Voltage: The force with which electricity flows (measured in volts (V)).
Current: The amount of electricity passing through a point in the circuit (measured in amps (A)).
Resistance: Determines how much electricity flows through the circuit.
What is a switch?¶
A switch is a control device that opens or closes an electrical circuit to either allow or stop the flow of electricity (providing a simple ON or OFF response).
Types of switches in textiles¶
Momentary
Toggle
Tilt
Stroke
What is a sensor?¶
A sensor is a flexible fabric component that detects physical changes, like stretching, pressure, body heat, or moisture and converts them into electrical signals.
Types of sensors¶
Pressure
Simple Fabric Pressure Sensors
Neoprene Pressure Sensor Matrix
Bend
Potentiometer
Stretch
Difference between a analog and digital sensor¶
One of the key differences between analog and digital sensors is their output resolution. For example, analog sensors provide infinite resolution since they provide a continuous range of values, while digital sensors have a finite resolution determined by the number of bits used to represent the signal. Another difference is the susceptibility to noise. Analog signals are more prone to noise interference since they are continuous and can be affected by external factors such as electromagnetic interference. On the other hand, digital signals, are less susceptible to noise since they are discrete and can be easily filtered and processed (Atlas Scientific, 2024).
2. References, research & inspiration¶
Levi´s Mark Donnison Maleza tornasol Audrey Briot
2.1 Quick how-tos¶
Please check out Liza Stark Presentation:
get inspired!
Check out and research alumni pages to better understand how to document and get inspired
- E-textiles - Kitronik
computational io cicuits lLiza stark
Frecuent questions: https://kitronik.co.uk/blogs/resources/e-textiles-the-frequently-asked-questions¶
3. Tools¶
4. Process and workflow¶
4.1 How to make a digital sensor¶
4.2 Installing ARDUINO IDE¶
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Download Arduino IDE 2.3.7
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Add a new XIAO RP 2040 microcontroller: FILE > Preferences > Paste link
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In the Board Manager, search for Raspberry Pi Pico/ RP 2040/ RP 2350
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In the Library Manager, search for Adafruit Neo Pixel 1.15.3
Many ways to turn out a light¶
Code 1. BLINK TEST¶
to the Arduino board
void setup() {
pinMode(D0, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
digitalWrite(D0, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(D0, LOW);
delay(1000);
}
With this connection, it can be programmed to turn on and off at different time intervals, in time with a song, among other options.
Settings for PLA filament
Ad a resistor between the direct voltage from the microcontroller and the LED, as it might burn both devices.
4.2 How to make an analog sensor¶
Code. FORCE SENSOR¶¶
int sensor_fuerza= D0;
int led=D9;
int lectura;
int brillo;
void setup()
{
pinMode(led, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop()
{
lectura = analogRead(sensor_fuerza); // Resistance equals sensor reading (Analog 0)
Serial.print("Lectura Analogica = ");
Serial.println(lectura);
// Change the analog reading range (500-1023)
// We use in analogWrite 8 bits (0-255) configured in the map
brillo = map(lectura, 15, 80, 0, 80);
analogWrite(led, brillo);
delay(100); //One hundred “ms” wait on each reading
}
XIAO RP2040¶
Here is the informatión of my microcontroller [XIAO RP2040][(https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/XIAO-RP2040/)
5. Results¶
Iwanted to try to light up my jacket using a circuit made with conductive thead and a 3V battery with its battery holder, so I could easily connect the positive and negative terminals, using the jacket's patches and buttons as contacts.
AMULETOS DE RESISTENCIA¶
With a circuit board made by Lágrimas Neón, handcrafted from recycled materials. The phenolic boards (copper sheets) are printed with the circuit design, and then,using the heat from an iron, this design is transferred to the surface. Afterward, when the board is immersed in acid, only the design printed on the copper remains. Using a soldering iron and tin solder, we connect various key components on the board, such as resistors—which generate lower or higher-pitched sounds—capacitors, and the wires needed to complete the circuit.
6. Weekly reflection & critical thinking¶
I wanted to do something bigger on a piece of clothing, but I ran out of time and hit a creative block. I was torn between doing small tests and incorporating those tests into a jacket, but either way, I’m happy with the result. I learned new concepts and made connections between them. It helped me see complex things as a collection of simple elements that come together to produce a result. I think this week really inspired me to keep exploring and putting other skills into practice to achieve results that can be applied to specific projects such as fabrics so I can incorporate them into my final project, I´m also eager to keep experimenting with different metallic materials that generate electricity and to try new designs with the sewing machine. It also made me think about their functionality. Although these small circuits can be integrated into clothing, the care and maintenance of each one will be the user’s responsibility, so we’ll need to rethink how textiles can be better incorporated into people’s daily lives, with repairable circuits, circuits that can be removed and reattached for washing in the washing machine, among other things.
7. Fabrication files & References¶
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File: Laser cut matrix ↩
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Reference: Author; Title; Source; year ↩