E-textiles¶

1. Objective¶

This week, I explored digital and analog sensors through a transparent glove with lights. I learned to build a basic circuit, make a glove pattern, and sew electronic connections into fabric. I also tested how light could respond to pressure, distance, and facial expressions.

My starting question was: What if a wearable could make the feeling of closeness visible?

What if we could make a tool to explore the emotional distance we feel when we are close to someone?

Weekly E-textiles assignment

2. Research and inspiration¶

This work is inspired by Artificial Intimacy. Today, dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble help us connect with other people through a screen. I became curious about another kind of connection: what happens when we share physical space?

The class introduced digital and analog sensors. I wanted to use these ideas to explore human distance through textile, transparent material, and light. The glove became a way to test that question. Its transparent surface lets me see both the hand and the circuit, while the lights make the interaction visible.

3. Tools and materials¶

Arduino board and Arduino IDE
Sewable electronic components, LEDs, and a battery holder
Conductive thread and connecting wires
Transparent fabric, paper, and a cutting mat
Sewing machine, needle, and thread
Thin-film pressure sensor
Computer and camera for the face-tracking experiments

4. Process and workflow¶

4.1 Building a basic circuit¶

Myles taught me how to build a circuit. I started with a simple connection so I could understand how the components worked together before moving them onto fabric.

A sewable electronic component connected with red and black test leads — My first circuit test.

I explored the process together with Myles and Jinger. Learning with them helped me connect the electronics to the wearable I wanted to make.

Myles and Jinger working together at the class table — Exploring the circuit and glove with Myles and Jinger.

4.2 Developing the glove pattern¶

I drew a paper pattern and transferred it to transparent fabric. I tried the fabric on my hand to check the shape, then planned where the electronic components and lights could sit.

Paper glove pattern beside transparent fabric on a cutting mat — Developing the glove pattern.

Transparent fabric wrapped around my hand and forearm — Checking the fit of the transparent material.

Transparent glove laid flat with a round electronic board and three light components — Planning the circuit layout on the glove.

4.3 Testing the lights¶

Before finishing the sewing, I connected the glove circuit to Arduino and tested the lights. This let me check the electronic parts while the glove was still flat on the table.

Arduino connected to the transparent glove circuit on a cutting mat — Testing the lights with Arduino.

4.4 Using the sewing machine for the first time¶

This was my first time using this sewing machine. I practised guiding the transparent fabric under the needle and sewing around the electronic components.

Transparent glove circuit under the sewing machine needle — My first sewing-machine test for the glove.

Guiding the transparent fabric and a sewable component through the machine — Learning to sew the connections into the fabric.

Close view of the sewn electronic board and light connections on the glove — The circuit and stitched connections after sewing.

4.5 Exploring face tracking and distance¶

With Jinger, I explored face detection and five emotion states. I connected this experiment to the glove and tested how the lights could respond to distance and facial expressions. These are the responses I recorded in my notes:

Input	Light response
Moving closer	The light turns off.
Moving farther away	The light turns on.
Smiling	The light becomes brighter.
Frowning	The light becomes dimmer.

This was a way to explore my question about closeness through visible changes in light.

Thank you, Jinger, for helping develop this experiment!

Screenshot of the Arduino code used during the experiment — Arduino code during testing. The screenshot is preserved from my original document.

Wearing the glove next to the computer during a face-tracking test — Testing the glove alongside the face-tracking setup.

Computer showing the face-tracking experiment with a phone beside the screen — The face-tracking test setup.

4.6 Digital sensing¶

For the digital experiment, I worked with conductive thread and an on-or-off light response. I sewed the conductive thread myself, building up a thicker section to work with.

Close view of conductive thread held between my fingers — Making a thicker conductive thread section by sewing.

The transparent glove worn on my hand with the lights off — One state of the digital glove test.

The transparent glove worn on my hand with three lights glowing — The lights on during the digital test.

4.7 Analog sensing with pressure¶

For the analog experiment, I used a thin-film pressure sensor with the circuit. I compared light pressure and firm pressure to explore a changing response rather than only two states.

Thin-film pressure sensor beside the transparent glove circuit — Adding the thin-film pressure sensor to the circuit.

Wearing the transparent glove while testing the pressure sensor — Trying the pressure sensor while wearing the glove.

Side-by-side glove tests labelled light pressure and firm pressure — Comparing light pressure and firm pressure.

5. Results¶

I made a transparent glove with a sewn circuit and lights, and used it to explore digital and analog sensing. The process brought together pattern making, machine sewing, conductive thread, Arduino, and face tracking.

The digital experiment explored switching between two light states. The pressure experiment explored how an input could vary. The face-tracking tests helped me connect these light responses to my interest in distance and human connection.

Class photo gallery¶

These are all the pictures from my class folder, including the original views of images used above and additional views of the glove. Select a picture to open the larger version.

Thin-film pressure sensor and glove circuit

Pressure sensor test while wearing the glove

Close view of the stitched electronic components

6. Weekly reflection¶

There was a lot to make this week, and I really enjoyed it. Building a circuit and using the sewing machine were new experiences for me. Working with the glove helped me bring those skills together and gave me a starting point for exploring textile, transparency, light, and closeness in my final project.

Thank you to Sherry, Jack, and Chelsea for talking and sharing with me. Thank you to Kim for showing me your previous work, and to Quientin for your suggestions.

I am also grateful to Prof. Larry Sass and Alexander Htet Kyaw for the conversations and different perspectives. They gave me ideas that could help me build something for my final project.

Thank you to Myles and Jinger for learning and experimenting with me, and thank you to Fab Lab at Kendall! :)

7. References¶

Artificial Intimacy on Goodreads — inspiration for the work.
Arduino test on Vimeo.
Test using my own recording on Vimeo.
Glove test on Vimeo.

Images are from my original document and class folder. Credit to Jinger for help with the face-detection experiment.