Friday, October 3, 2008

Model progress

Hey guys,
my final garment prototype is coming along well, and its roughly half completed at this stage. I must say though stitching this thing has been quite tedious (getting measurements correct, folding fabric, and running polyester fabric omg!......) but im quite pleased with it.

Its made from a combination of polyester (beige) and nylon (orange). I looked into the qualities of various fabrics and decided these were the most suitable. Polyester is a good mix of tightfitting and a sheen finish, without being overly shiny.

I will be moving onto modelling the interface soon which will tie the current graphics together; iron on printing and solid pieces for the ultra thin; interface, circuits, battery etc which ill sow beneath and into the fabric.

Ive been doing quite alot more research into the sensors and it appears that the measurement will be performed by a elastic strip running along the spine that has fabric strain sensor(s). This will measure strain on the fabric and provide the basis for micro software (in the fabric) to analyze and measure posture. Here is a quick explanation from a reseach journal i found into SMART TEXTILES FOR WEARABLE MOTION CAPTURE SYSTEMS;

"The sensory function of the garments is achieved by fabric strain sensors, based on threads coated with polypyrrole or carbonloaded
rubbers. The presence of conductive elements gives these materials
piezoresistive properties, enabling the detection of local strain on the fabric.
Strips of strain fabrics are applied together with conductive tracks at strategic points in a
shirt and a glove in order to detect the movements of the principal joints.
The 'smart shirt'-sensing architecture can be divided into two parts: a textile platform, where a wearable device acquires biomechanical signals, and a hardware/software platform, to which a wireless communication system sends the acquired data after electrical conditioning."

The spinal section of my garment has therefore changed slightly, and as this kind of product has not been styled before, im thinking about how i can visually represent the technology that is working within the fabric, any suggestions?

Sorry for the long post, would be great to get some comments back.

Cheers, have a good W.E, Andy :)

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