University of Applied Sciences Augsburg (summer 2020)

This course is centered around Wearables and electronic textiles. The aim of the course was not only to develop and experiment with hand-crafted soft wearable sensors, but also to engage critically in current socio-political issues and investigate artistic ideas with the means of practice-based research. This course also happened to take place right in the beginning of the Covid-19 lock-down. So this documentation also offers some insights into online-teaching and techniques which worked well for prototyping dictactics.

WEEK 1:

Due to Covid-19 lockdown, each student has received a following package of materials prior to the beginning of the course: felt, conductive thread, embroidery needle, embroidery threads, multimeter, a range of resistors, a range of leds – sewable and non-sewable, 3V battery and a sewable battery holder, iron-on adhersive, piezo-resistive fabric, conductive fabric (silver and copper), lilypad, usb cable and breakout board, sewable snaps and crocodile clips.

WEEK 2:

Minor Project I: Unmaking & Material Culture
Task: Take one electronic and one textile artifact. Take them apart and study their anatomy and their history and speculate about its alternative uses.

WEEK 3:

Online Tutorials for DIY analogue sensors:

Useful Links:
– an e-textile database, especially good for sensors, by Kobakant: How To Get What You Want: https://www.kobakant.at/DIY/
– How to Work with Conductive Fabric by Lara Grant: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Work-With-Conductive-Fabric/
– Knotting the thread: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Threading-Needles-and-Knotting-Thread/
– End knot: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Tying-Off-to-Finish-Sewing/
– Backstitch: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Handsewing-the-Case-Using-the-Backstitch/
– Running Stitch: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Sewing-Running-Stitch-Coasters/
– Blanket Stitch: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Sewing-Blanket-Stitch-Coasters/
– 5 more embroidery stitches: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Floral-Stitch-Sampler/

WEEK 4:

Useful Links:
>Lilypad
– Digital Output: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Digital-Output/
– Digital Input: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Digital-Input/
– Arduino Software herunterladen: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
– Arduino Tutorials: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage
– Wearable Class on Instructables: https://www.instructables.com/class/Wearable-Electronics-Class/
– code example for a switch and an led: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Final-Project-Circuit/
– How to read circuit plans: https://www.instructables.com/id/HOW-TO-READ-CIRCUIT-DIAGRAMS/
– symbols in electronics: Symbole in der Elektronik: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_symbol

>Social Body Wearables (projects)
– Mood Sweater von Sensoree: https://vimeo.com/49205735
– Anja Hertenberger – Hysterical Bubble
– Kate Hartman: Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ui-iAp8Pc , Social Body Lab: http://socialbodylab.com/sample-page/
– – Flexability (Lara Grant, Adrian Freed, Anna Blumenkranz): www.flex-ability.org, Video: https://vimeo.com/293531712
– Meg Grant – Seismic: https://www.myseismic.com
– Eunjeong Jeon, Kristi Kuusk, Martijn ten Bhömer (TU/e), Jesse Asjes (TextielMuseum TextielLab Tilburg) and Metatronics: Vibe-ing – http://www.kristikuusk.com/?p=1417
– Quietude von Santa Chiara FabLab, Universität Siena: http://www.quietude.it/
– Soundshirt von Cutecircuit, https://cutecircuit.com/soundshirt/
– Aniela Hoitnik: Dynamic Skin Project https://neffa.nl/portfolio/dynamic-skin/ 
– The Right Trousers, Faculty of Robotics at University Bristol https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/sep/11/the-right-trousers-wallace-and-gromit-mobility-aid-robotic
– Guilia Tomasello: Future Flora https://gitomasello.com/Future-Flora
– Neffa: MycoTEX https://neffa.nl/portfolio/future-of-living-materials-iving-skin/

WEEK 5:

Useful Links:
– Sensor Tutorials by Liza Stark: http://thesoftcircuiteer.net/soft-sensors/
– Flexsensor by Lara Grant: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Analog-Input/

WEEK 6:

Minor Project II: Social Bodies & Bodies of Labour (4 groups)

Useful Links:
>VOLTAGE DIVIDER:
– Voltage Divider Sparkfun: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/voltage-dividers
– https://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?p=6102
– Kobakant: https://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?p=6102
– Lara Grant’s Tutorial auf Instructables: https://www.instructables.com/lesson/Analog-Input/

>MAPPING & SMOOTHING CODE:
– Liza’s code zum Sensoren auslesen: https://github.com/lizastark/Projects/blob/master/Swatches/fabric_sensors/fabric_sensors.ino
– Lara Grant’s Code: https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FES/GBFZ/IUKEMGDC/FESGBFZIUKEMGDC.zip

>MULTIMETER TUTORIALS:
– Multimeter Tutorial von Adafruit: https://learn.adafruit.com/multimeters/
– Widerstand messen mit Multimeter, von Adafuit: https://learn.adafruit.com/multimeters/resistance
– Widerstandsrechner (Colour codes eingeben): http://www.dannyg.com/examples/res2/resistor.htm

WEEK 7:

Useful Links:
>Arduino:
– Code auf Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YQCwmp3cmmAnFC-tMq0J8psj5MBSe-um
– Arduino Library & Erklärung: https://playground.arduino.cc/Main/CapacitiveSensor/
– Tutorial auf Instructables: https://www.instructables.com/id/Capacitive-Sensing-for-Dummies/
– Konstanten für Töne zum Nachschauen (weiter unten): https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/toneMelody

>Enhanced Bodies:
– Soft Robotics Lectures bei Fabricadamy: http://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week11/
– Soft Robotics: Anouk Wipprecht: Poximity Dress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHp0aG6Sb_A
– Soft Robotics: Digital Fabrication of Soft Actuated Objects. Paper von Lea Albaugh, Scott Hudson und Lining Yao: http://morphingmatter.cs.cmu.edu/~morphin5/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/soft_actuated_objects.pdf
– Second Skin: Bare Conductive non-toxic Paint: https://www.bareconductive.com
– Second Skin: MIT Temporary Tattoos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVt7v4rQ2JI&feature=youtu.be
– Second Skin: Katia Vega: Hairwear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAmpGjVCSbI&feature=youtu.be
– Body Extensions: Kate Hartman: Monarch: https://vimeo.com/89654806
– Luxuskörper: Kobakant: The Crying Dress: https://www.kobakant.at/?p=287
-Herzimplantate in Bolivien: TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYDqtxvKDW4&feature=youtu.be , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHDDQVB2SnE&feature=youtu.be
– Klangkörper: Musikvest von KOBAKANT: https://www.kobakant.at/KOBA/trombone-breathing/ , Meg’s Magnificent Marching Orchestra: http://www.nerding.at/mags-magnificent-marching-band/
– Klagkörper: EJTech: Draping Sound: http://ejtech.cc/?page_id=2251, Liquid MIDI: https://www.bareconductive.com/news/qa-a-flexible-midi-controller-by-ejtech/ 
– Umwelt: Kasia Molga’s Human Sensor: https://vimeo.com/280558316
– Umwelt: Pretty Bloody Simple: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/fahrrad-wolke-in-muenchen-fahrrad-wolke-in-muenchen-1.4070250

WEEK 8:

Minor Project III: Enhanced Bodies

WEEK 9:

WEEK 10:

WEEK 11:

WEEK 12:

Final Projects

A project by Nina Hirsekorn, Kimberly Kneisl and Laura Käppner
A project by Tamata Schlenkrich, Nadja Troscheit and Steffanie Rausch
A project by Connor Zimmermann and Romina Begus
A Project by Lukas Übel and Florian Geiger