SparkL Motion - Accelerometer Necklace

 Created by Jennifer Savage, a member of Alpha One Labs

From her post: SparkL Motion is a simple ribbon necklace (she used using pulse width modulation to make LEDs “sparkle”) The LilyPad Arduino is front and center, worn like a Cameo, with a strand of LEDs coming out from either side of it. The electricity is run through conductive thread, so there are no wires that could poke the wearer. The top of the ribbon itself is crimped in place using beads, so that the ribbon falls along the edge of the neckline. This crimping also creates a soft ruffle and helps to distribute the weight of the LilyPad so that it doesn’t tilt forward. Additionally, both a battery source (3V Coin Cell) and an accelerometer are hidden behind the LilyPad itself.

Step by step instructions, code and stitching suggestions are posted at: http://www.alphaonelabs.com/sparkl-motion/

Bringing History Alive via the LilyPad

Dana Johnson, an M.A. student in Public History at the University of Western Ontario, created an interactive historical exhibit, using a real story (Harry Hansell b. 1923), miltary jacket, old letters, images on a computer screen and the LilyPad Arduino and LEDs.  Below are a few project photos, however you can read about the entire creation process (including code) and design journey on her blog at: http://sites.google.com/site/interactiveexhibitetextiles/home

The LilyPad & battery were sewn on the left hip of the jacket

Each of the 4 pockets have an LED that lights when it's time to reach in the pocket.

Excerpt from one of the 4 letters reproduced from the archives of
Harry Ernst Hansell, a Royal Canadian Air Force serviceman. 
This letter be found in one of the four jacket pockets.

View the project video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0gdvsqLPiE

With 'Ping' clothing, status updates literally tap you on the shoulder

By Sean Hollister

Arduino-powered clothing is nothing new; we've seen CO2-detecting dresses, compass belts and inbox-checking T-shirts all within the last six months. But this Ping social networking garment concept is not quite the same thing. Where those were DIY projects with a single-function, Ping is the brainchild of a professional UI designer... and the fabric itself is a social network UI that registers your movements as attempts to communicate. Woven with flexible sensors and conductive threads connected to an Arduino Lilypad and Xbee, clothing made from the fabric can detect when you lift a hood or tie a ribbon and wirelessly send Facebook status updates accordingly -- or tap you on the shoulder in a number of different rhythms so you know not only when, but who might be trying to get in touch. Designer Jennifer Darmour imagines a future in which clothing offers full-body 3D gesture recognition and senses our environment. 

Originally posted at: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/19/with-ping-clothing-status-updates-literally-tap-you-on-the-sh/

An e-mail counting t-shirt

 

 
Chris Ball and Madeleine made a t-shirt together that displays how much unread e-mail I have using an Arduino Lilypad and Bluetooth dongle, and an Android phone to send the number of unread mails to the shirt.

Brilliant!  See the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X-hPEZWWo8
His blog page can be viewed at http://blog.printf.net/articles/2010/03/30/email-counting-tshirt
Link to his code: http://github.com/cjb/lilypad-email-shirt#readme

Flying Diamonds

Arduino art show curated by Alicia Gibb, March 27 2010 @ NYC Resistor 
Flying Diamonds Cotton and conductive threads and electronics components including a LilyPad Arduino on vinyl 2010 by Becky Stern.
Posted on Flickr

Katy Perry and Fergie Light Up Hollywood in Glowing Shoes

The red carpets of Hollywood have been glowing more brightly than usual lately, but it isn’t just because of the luminous stars who prance down them in glitzy garb. Two big-name celebs have been spotted wearing LED-enhanced high-heeled shoes that light up with every step, reminiscent of the flashing-bulb-enhanced sneakers favored by toddlers and gradeschoolers.

Singers Katy Perry and Fergie both rocked the glowing Lucite platforms this week, which come from footwear superstar Jimmy Choo. Fergie wore a pair with neon straps to the MAC and Alice + Olivia launch party. Katy opted to go with a black strappy pair, which stole no thunder from the bedazzling night-light at their bottom half.

Fergie’s platforms complemented a draping Temperley dress and a white Kara Ross bag. The Black Eyed Peas singer discussed her shoes with InStyle, saying, "I assume I was blinking all the way up the stairs. I've been dying to wear these!”

Read the rest of the article at: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/katy-perry-and-fergie-light-up-hollywood-in-glowing-shoes-1313932/

Digital Media Literacy Beyond the Screen Meeting @ IU

Bloomington held the third meeting in a series of four on March 12th that brought together scholars from a wide array of disciplines and electronic textile specialists in exploring computational crafts, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) and education.  This meeting focused on arts, clothing as texts, creativity, K-12 curriculum and simulations.  See the meeting minutes for the indepth discussion http://buechley.scripts.mit.edu/DML2010/node/4  This series is sponsered by the MacArthur Foundation through their Digital Media and Learning program: http://digitallearning.macfound.org/.