5. E-Textiles and Wearables I#

This week we got into e textiles. Our work was to create one digital and one analogue soft sensors, using different materials and techniques. We started from the comprehensible and super clear Liza ‘s lesson on Tuesday. She started with the basics, like what a circuit is and how does electricity move, to arrive explaining us how to use Arduino. The day after we had an intesive lesson with Emma, from Waag, who analyzed for us Liza’s lecture mixing theory and hands-on application.

lezione

I’m not very satisfied by the shape and the look of my two sensors but I’m quite happy I did it! It has been hard form me to think about a shape without thinking about a functions…but I dind’t know how it worked so it was hard form me also to think about a function. So I focus only in trying to realize a sensor and make it works. It was the first time I was practicing with eletronic components for real(and not only in theory)!

I hope to do best in next weeks.

Tools#

During the lessons, Emma showed us and makes us use all the tools needed for working with electronic components. We started prototyping our circuits with Arduino and the breadboard; we used the crocodiles and the jumper wires to make connections. The next step was to recreate this hard connections into soft connections. We have tried different types of connections. I solder the led and the resistor I used on the copper tape; this kinde of connection is permanent, but melting the tin again is it possible to remove the pieces. Another possibility is to use the conductive tread to join all the diffrent parts.

tools

What is a sensor?#

A sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment and converts it into a ‘signal’ which can be read by an observer or by an instrument.

We can finde two types of sensor: Digital and Analog.

sensor

Images from Emma presentation

Find out more abour digital vs analog sensor

Sensor: digital vs analog#

Digital sensors => Switches - Momentary - Toggle - Tilt - Stroke

On/off

0110111101101110

input output

Analog sensor => Variable resistors - Pressure - Bend - Potentiometer - Stretch - Accelerometer

Range of values

1023, 521, 34

analog

What I did#

Digital Sensor#

The Stroke Sensor

To create my sensor I used the instruction on Kobakant

HOW CREATE IT#

On a perforated fabric:

  1. thread the conductive yarn in a row passing trought a conductive fabric;
  2. thread the un-conductive yarn in a row next to the conductive one;

  3. thread the conductive yarn in a row passing trought a conductive fabric;

    There must be a row of un-conductive yarn in the middle of two raw of conductive yarn.

  4. Make the circuit(I used the copper tape);

  5. Connect the electronic parts to the circuit(I solder them);

MATERIALS#

HOW IT WORKS:#

Analog Sensor#

Potentiometer

To create my sensor I used the instruction on Kobakant

HOW CREATE IT#

On an un-conductive fabric:

  1. Cut one stripe of Velostat and one of copper tape;
  2. Place them near and sew them with a non-conductive thread on a non-conductive fabric;
  3. Make the circuit(I used the copper tape);
  4. Connect the electronic parts to the circuit(I solder them);
  5. Use a conductive material/create with a conductive fabric a thimble to touch the copper tape and the velostat and close the circuit.

MATERIALS#

HOW IT WORKS#

Adjust resistance by connecting conductive and resistive material through a wiper at different points in the circuit. The farther away, the more resistance.

analog

gifanalog

Love, share, download the code here!#

 * AnalogRead light sensor
 */
int light_pin = A0;
int light_value = 0;
int led_pin = 3;
int led_value = 0;

void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:
 pinMode(light_pin, INPUT);
 Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
 light_value = analogRead(light_pin);
  led_value = map(light_value,250,1023,0,255);
 constrain(led_value,0,255);
 analogWrite(led_pin,led_value);
 Serial.print("the light sensor value is:");
 Serial.println(light_value);
 delay(100);
}

 * Input(switch) and Output(led) circuit
 */

int led_pin = 3;
int sw_pin = 8;
int sw_value = 0;

void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:
 pinMode(led_pin, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(sw_pin, INPUT);
 Serial.begin(9600);

}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:

sw_value = digitalRead(sw_pin);
  Serial.println(sw_value);

if(sw_value == LOW){
  digitalWrite(led_pin,LOW); //
  Serial.println("the switch not is pushed, the Led is off");

} else {
  digitalWrite(led_pin, HIGH); //sw not pushed(not closed light on)
  Serial.println("the switch is pushed, the Led is on");
}
}