design culture_cultures of design

Historically textiles have included:
Animal textiles
Plant textiles
Mineral textiles
Synthetic textiles
Weaving, knitting, crocheting, braiding, plaiting, felting, ultrasonic cutting and bonding, molding

Textile production historical outline:
1767 - John Kay invents the spinning frame.
1769 - Richard Arkwright’s water frame.
1779 - Samuel Crompton invents the spinning mule.
1784 - Edmund Cartwright invents the power loom.
1794 - Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin.
1801 - Joseph Marie Jacquard invents the Jacquard punched card loom.

Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Clothing+

• Clothing+ has the know-how to fit textiles to the requirements of the electronics industry. This is achieved through strong expertise in several lamination technologies, ultrasonic welding, laser cutting, conductive and isolating fibres and fabrics and testing. Clothing+ has a global network of research institutes, textile manufacturers and material suppliers.

  Clothing+ has also worked with Polar Electro to bring a new heart rate monitoring system to the market. The system consists of a small transmitter unit and a textile strap which wraps closer to the chest than conventional plastic straps and, thus, enables more accurate monitoring of the heart. The strap is fastened fittingly by the transmitter unit and fits comfortably around chests of all shapes.

  http://www.polar-adidas.com/phase5/index.html

  http://www.clothingplus.fi/index.php?s=manufacturing

  

  

Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > MIThril Integrated Design Concept


• The MIThril Integrated Design Concept was envisioned as a way of combining all the MIThril 2003 components into a functional yet fashion-conscious package. Additionally, new features would appear based on the type of garment worn–e.g. information relay in a business suit or physiological sensors in an athletic shirt. Developed by Ben Maron. the first design comprised a full mobile computing research package integrated into a women’s wool coat. The garment shell was designed in Maya, using basic human NURBS geometry from Jeffrey Ian Wilson.
  http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/mithril2k3-design.html

  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Nikeipod
  
  Only available at the Apple Store, the $39 kit includes a small wireless sensor that fits into a hidden pocket in the sole of specially made Nike shoes. The sensor transmits wireless audio reports to your iPod nano (yes, only the nano is compatable). The reports include statistics on distance travelled, speed, and calories burned. When you get home you can connect your nano up to your computer and upload the data for review. It works both on Mac and PC.
  Coming August 17th, Nike will be releasing the Nike Air Zoom Moire+, the first of six shoes styles compatable with the iPod sport kit. The shoes will range from $129 to $179.
  http://images.google.com/nikeipod

Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Eleksen

• Eleksen’s core technology is the touch-sensitive textile, ElekTex. With all the properties of fabric, it forms an innovative, versatile and durable control interface and is designed to transform soft-goods products into interactive devices.
  www.eleksen.com
  
  
  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Cutecircuit
  http://www.cutecircuit.com/ see selected projects below:

  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Kinetic dress
  

  
  The KineticDress is sewn of an elastic textile embedded with sensors that follows closely the body of the wearer. The sensors are able to capture the wearer’s movements and interaction with others and display this data through the electroluminescent embroidery that covers the external skirt section of the dress. Depending on the amount and speed of the wearer’s movement the electroluminescent embroidery changes pattern, displaying the wearer’s mood to the audience and creating a magic halo around her.The algorithmic program that controls the KineticDress is designed to follow the pace of the wearer: a still pose, when sitting alone shows a black dress, when the wearer starts moving and interacting with others the dress slowly lights up with a blue-circles pattern that moving creates a magic halo around the wearer.

  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Skirteleon
  Skirteleon is a skirt that changes color in relation to the mood and activities of the wearer. Is made of a special smart and interactive laminated cotton fabric that is waterproof and was developed at CuteCircuit.

  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > ET

  

  ET Is composed by an headset with sensors and a belt with embedded wireless network capabilities. While moving through a city or environment the person wearing the system receives audio files, that are dynamically adjusted in volume to create a tridimensional audioscape depending on the direction or objects they are looking at.The embedded Theatre system is composed of a garment containing a mobile device (like a PDA or cell phone), and headphones with an attached digital sensor. Through Wi-Fi triangulation the system understands the participants location in the environment, and the sensor understands the direction that the participant is looking. Using these two data sources in combination it is possible to create a fictional audio landscape, in three-dimensions, that corresponds exactly to real world objects and locations. For example, as a participant walks to the right of a statue, they may hear the statue whispering in their left ear, turning to look at the statue, the sound is now in front of them. Or the participant could hear a conversation in the street between two people that took place three hundred years ago.

  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > The Hug Shirt
  

  
  The Hug Shirt is a shirt that makes people send hugs over distance! Embedded in the shirt there are sensors that feel the strength of the touch, the skin warmth and the heartbeat rate of the sender and actuators that recreate the sensation of touch, warmth and emotion of the hug to the shirt of the distant loved one.

  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Epi-SKin
  
  Epi-Skin. Marta Iwin
  This jewelry is made from epithelial skin cells cultured in a lab and grown in a test tube.

  
  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Airplane dress
  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Contemporary Cloth
  
  Contemporary Cloth by Minagawa Makiko
  The texture of this stole was created using a technique where some areas
  of the fabric shrink and others, painted with a protective solution, do not.
  The result is a luxurious silk piece reminiscent of blue Iznik glass tiles. The texture of this stole was created using a technique where some areas
  of the fabric shrink and others, painted with a protective solution, do not.
  The result is a luxurious silk piece reminiscent of blue Iznik glass tiles.

  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > APOC

  Issey Mikaye APOC (A Piece of Cloth)
  

  Recent inventions > smart textiles > wearable technology > Nanotech
  Wearable power: nanotechonlogy
  
  
  
  
  

  Wearable power: nanotechonlogy
  Weaving Batteries into Clothes
  A new machine that makes nanostructured fibers could turn soldiers’ uniforms into power supplies.

  take on active functions such as generating and storing energy.

  New extruding technologies can produce fibers that combine multiple materials in distinct nanoscale patterns. Here are hair-thin fibers made from two components arranged in target-like cross sections. A more advanced three-component machine will be used by the U.S. Army to develop uniforms that can perform active functions, such as storing and generating energy.

  To make extremely thin, nanoscale fibers, the researchers first extrude a fiber made of two materials (like the one at right, seen in cross section). One of the materials can be dissolved, freeing the fibers.
  These fibers, which combine two materials, give a sense of the intricate patterns that extruding technology can produce. A new machine can combine three materials into even more complex structures.

  Among the machine’s many potential uses is assembling fibers that act as rechargeable batteries.

  

  

  

  
  The machine was featured last week as part of a workshop on wearable power held at the United States Army Research Laboratory…..
  as foot soldiers come to depend more on electronic devices, from night-vision goggles and laser range finders to advanced radios and networked computers. Today, a typical platoon requires almost 900 batteries of up to seven different types for a five-day mission