I have moved

I have moved...

Please see my new blog for future posts into the exciting world of smart textiles and wearable tech!

**Other news** I just started a fully funded AHRC PhD looking into creating emotive wearable communication devices for people in long distance relationships.

TITLE:

iCRAFT, iWEAR, iCOMMUNICATE: ENHANCING INTIMACY THROUGH WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES

KEYWORDS:

CRAFT, WEARABLES, SMART MATERIALS, COMMUNICATION, INTERACTION.

BLURB:

By integrating clothing design and wearable technologies/smart materials (materials which have the ability to change controlled by an external stimuli i.e. temperature, UV levels, moisture, electric or magnetic fields, stress or pH), this research aims to enhance communication through incorporating touch. Using touch as an emotional stimulus aims to strengthen the bonds of long-distance relationships (romantic or family based) by heightening the connection whilst apart.

New developments in the world of wearable technology “are fast emerging phenomena”. However, much research in this field tends strongly towards the technologically driven and market-oriented. By drawing on the inherent aesthetic and emotive qualities of craft practice and using them as a tool to project personal connections and bonds between users, and between the users and the worn device itself. This proposal aims to embed intimacy within worn communication technologies. This research proposal builds on the applicant’s previous study, which focused on the field of wearable technology and smart materials. Using interactive garments as tools to ignite conversations, body awareness and intimate touch between the wearer & non-wearer and wearer & garment.

Dream Jammies

Via asquare.org

network research

Staying with the connected devices / objects theme, the following are two connected clothing works by Alexander Reeder.

Dream Jammies from Alexander Reeder on Vimeo.

Dream Jammies (image & video above) are user aware pajamas which can be connected to through a custom iPhone appication. The pajamas are:

aware of your body in several ways. They know whether you are standing or laying down, tossing or lying quietly. Dream Jammies also know your body temperature. This information is relayed to your partner’s iPhone, and expressed on their screen in color, changing in realtime. As you lay down to sleep, the screen fades from green to blue, the shade of blue reflecting your body temperature. As you roll around, the screen flickers red. By shaking the iPhone your partner is able to reach out, causing the chest of your pajamas to vibrate. Not pleasant while you sleep, but a perfect alarm clock. Not only are you able to keep in touch while living on opposite sides of the world, Dream Jammies offer insight into how you sleep by capturing data as you snooze.

AwareFashion

Richard Etter, Diana Grathwohl & Sigmund Homoyla have come up with clothing that makes you aware of your "digital and social environment".

By embedding sensors in the sleeves of this AwareFashion shirt, the wearer is able to sense other forms technology in the room by a visual display of light on the cuff of the shirt.

Communication dress

New York based Alis Cambol, an interaction designer / design analyst who focuses on researching and designing experiences for product, fashion, environments and digital platforms, has created the Lizard dress (see you tube video below). This interactive garment mimics movements made by an external source (person wearing the corresponding transmitter).

What can this type of technology do to enable remote communication through clothing between two people?

Search Engine for Wearable tech

A great tool from the guys that blog about wearable technology every day at talk 2 my shirt... now you can search the web (not just their blog posts) for new innovations in wearables :)