Our final project for the course was an updated and improved iteration of our sketch 2 wearable project. The action of the lights and sensor in sketch 2 were not quite what we had wanted and the final project provided us with the opportunity to improve these aspects of the old project while also adding in a second touch interaction and improving the design of the garment itself.
We began by going back to the drawing board a bit in order to refine the form of the outfit and brainstorming other ways the light could react more poetically.
The lights remained located in the left sleeve of the shirt but were extended into the slightly armor-like asymmetrical collar. The intention with the lights in the collar was to be able to cast light up onto the wearer's face in order to mimic a blush. In addition to the touch sensor in the hand a soft pressure switch was placed in the shoulder of the garment. While the sensor in the palm allowed the shirt to react to intentional contact initiated by the wearer the shoulder switch was meant to allow the shirt to react to unintentional and potentially unwelcome contact such as the jostling and compression of personal space in crowded environs such as a subway.
While the shirt was being designed we quickly prototyped the circuit that was going to be integrated into it using a prototyping breadboard. By setting up the circuit on the board we were able to develop and test the arduino code while the shirt was still under construction.
Arduino Sketch can be downloaded from here
While the code and circuit were being designed the shirt was also being designed and prototyped. The shirt had two main components.
The undershirt, which was made from a reflective, silvery fabric would hold the LED's and the majority of the wearable circuit. The undershirt was meant to only be visible on the left arm and the collar of the wearer and so the shirt itself was comprised of that sleeve and a small bodice on the torso. Over this silvery material a second layer was added made from a translucent, black fabric in order to diffuse the light coming from the LED's and hide the circuitry from view as well as bring the look of the undershirt more into balance with the leather over-shirt.
The Overshirt: Fashionable, pretty, slightly dangerous looking. Mimics armor in the shoulder and asymmetrical collar, tailored to make the waist look slim. The overshirt has far less of the technology integrated into it and makes most of its statement through its own aesthetic appearance. The only circuit present in the shirt is in the high collar where a line of red LED's are placed. These LED's are hidden by the collar and aimed at the wearer in order to throw a small amount of red light onto the face in order to mimic a blush.
The over-shirt went through 3 iterations in its design. Beginning as a paper prototype of a shirt it was then prototyped using an old brown pleather we had lying around from past projects. Once the size, cut, and tailoring had been planned out in these prototype shirts we tore them apart in order to make the pattern for the final version which was made from a softer black pleather material.
When combined together the pieces make a single, sleek and subtly sci-fi asymmetrical garment.
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