Comfortable, fashionable clothing with built-in technology that can monitor wellness and health or provide protection is moving from science fiction to reality through the development of electronic textiles (e-textiles), combining elements of electronics, textiles and programming.
Soft Circuits and Smart Textiles
Kent State University students and faculty from all areas of study, staff and community members are invited to participate in a workshop titled Soft Circuits and Smart Textiles, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 in the Design Innovation (DI) Hub on the university’s Kent Campus. This hands-on session teaches, at a beginner’s level, how to stitch circuits, program microcontrollers and design interactive fabric projects.
The Only Prerequisites: Curiosity and Creativity
The workshop will explore the history, materials and applications of e-textiles through demonstrations and hands-on activities. No prior experience in electronics, textiles or coding is required. Participants will learn basic techniques, like how to integrate electronics into fabric using conductive embroidery, bonding, integrating microcontrollers and using knitted sensors.
Through experimenting with sensors, LEDs and microcontrollers, participants will have the opportunity to apply their skills to design and build their own e-textile project.
People interested in participating in the Oct. 10 workshop or attending the Oct. 9 lecture can register using this link. (NOTE: Since this article was posted, the Oct. 10 workshop is now full, but there is a waitlist. Registration for the Oct. 9 lecture is still available.)
The Power of Creative Collaboration
Krissi Riewe Stephenson is an associate professor of fashion design and merchandising in Kent State’s School of Fashion and is one of the facilitators of the series. Her applied research focuses on the use of both traditional craft methods and emerging digital tools to bring innovation into the design process.
“We are thrilled for the students and community members to have the opportunity to learn a new skill and gain confidence in the design and incorporation of wearable technology and e-textiles in their future work, as well as give them a collaborative space to make new friends and form project partnerships,” she said.
Lecture: Creating Innovative Textiles With Embedded Electronic Functionality
At 6 p.m. on Oct. 9, the series will also feature a lecture that will discuss the development and testing of a selection of e-textiles that look and feel like conventional textiles while seamlessly incorporating electronic devices. One approach is to embed small electronic components within a yarn-like structure to create an electronic yarn, which can then be used to produce a textile that is comfortable, breathable and can be machine washed like normal clothing.
The lecture called Creating Innovative Textiles With Embedded Electronic Functionality will focus on e-textile devices that have been created using electronic yarns, including wearables like gloves that can measure your pulse, socks that can tell if you are at risk of falling over and textile solar panels.
Theo Hughes-Riley, Ph.D., is a visiting facilitator for the workshops and lecture. He is an associate professor in e-textiles at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom. Hughes-Riley’s research in the design and development of e-textile devices has a particular emphasis on integrating sensor technologies in the creation of e-textiles for well-being, healthcare and workwear applications.
“The lecture is a nice opportunity to share the e-textiles research I am conducting at the Advanced Textiles Research Group at Nottingham Trent University to a broad audience, while the workshops allow me to engage with students and members of the community to share the innovative and creative potential in e-textiles,” Hughes-Riley said.
Other Kent State faculty facilitating the workshops and lecture are Robert Pettys-Baker, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Linda Ohrn-McDaniel, professor and faculty director of the KnitLAB, both from the School of Fashion, and J.R. Campbell, executive director of Kent State’s Design Innovation Initiative.
The workshops and lecture are a collaboration between Kent State’s Design Innovation Initiative and the KnitLAB and funded by a grant through the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.
Banner image caption: Daniel Fladung, assistant professor of fashion design and merchandising in Kent State University’s School of Fashion, talks with students creating electronic textiles at a workshop.