Potential Semester Project: Smart Clothing

Fab Academy Module:

01 Digital Fabrication Principles and Practices

The Fab Academy Assignment

• week 1: design and document a self-reproducing machine
• week 2: design and document a potential semester project

The Initial Project Idea: Smart Clothing

Goals:

• Use sensors to make the clothing aware of the wearer (user)
• Make the clothing aware of the data around it (connect to the internet)
• Experiment with sewing and conductive thread.
  • Order thread
  • Understand the strengths and limitations of the product
  • Test out patterns
  • Deliverable: Make iphone gloves as a test of conductivity and resistance.
• Determine and obtain sensors
  • Start with temperature (input)
  • LED (output))
• Experiment with sensors and LEDs
  • Use single color LED:
    • i.  Have them blink faster of fade in and out as temp increases
    • ii. Blink or fade slower or stop as temp decreases
  • Use tri-color LED
    • i.  Have them display warm colors when user is hot
    • ii. Cool when cold
  • Deliverable: user’s temperature controlled collar
• Connect the garment / circuitry to the internet
  • Figure out which xBee module is appropriate
  • Purchase and get the garment to communicate with the Internet.
  • Use data to interact with the LEDs or other output module.
• Optional: If time allows – connect a LED screen to the garment so the online data can be displayed on the garment.

Schedule: