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These slides are from a talk I gave on sensors & other technology usage by creatives at Nano4Design at QMUL. It featured some information on Maker communities, how electronics providers are also providing tuition & nurturing communities. I talk about how technology is changing from being bulky, cold, hard and sharp, to elegant. It also features some examples of my work.
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Sensors for e-textiles creatives Rain Ashford - http://rainycatz.wordpress.com
The growth of hacker culture & communities has inspired a new group of creatives to evolve and enter the tech industries
..a convergence of readily available electronic components, shared knowledge through communities and open source approaches to technology has broken barriers to learning & creativity
For me, the availability of sewable electronic & e-textiles has revolutionised the way I and many other artists & designers work
..plus the styling of some of these components has made them more attractive to work with
Which has changed how people regard wearable tech & electronics; they’re no longer comprised of cold, bulky sharp, boxy & ugly components that you might prefer to remain hidden
…allowing me create much more elegant work
…incorporating the technology into the design
The availability of sensors in particular that allowed me to bring my ideas to fruition
..plus there’s lots of information out there on how to make your own!
In my research I’m starting to note key areas of sensor & actuator usage, against groups & areas of usage…
Hacking existing tech & combining sensors has allowed me to make pieces such as ‘You Make My <3 Flutter’: a proximity detecting, heart rate sensing ‘techlace’
And for looking at social interaction -‘Yr In Mah Face’: temperature /mood sensing t-shirt - uses Celsius temperature data from a sensor, averages it, then visualises the results via LEDs.
I’m also interested in practical uses - Don’t Break My Heart is a wearable, colour-coded distance warning system prototype for cyclists to wear on their back
Summary
Exciting time for e-textiles & wearable tech
Availability of sewable electronics is revolutionising the work of artists & designers
Hackspaces & online communities are helping demystify electronics & coding
Open Source ethos is sharing & making knowledge more accessible
Small Maker start-ups are changing the face of tech entrepreneurs
Sewable electronics are inspiring a broader demographic to become interested in electronics & coding
School age students are investigating electronics & code via e-textiles and wearable tech
Thank you for your attention!
@Rainycat http://rainycatz.wordpress.com
http://Rain Ashford 2012
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