STEM TEXTILES
GETTING STARTED
WITH E - TEXTILES
Heidi Ambrose-Brown
Throughout today…..
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What existing textiles project could I
build this into?
Is the use of electronics in the project
too contrived?
Am I using an existing electronics
project that exists in kit form?
Am I creating the circuit from scratch
with conductive thread and/or fabric?
E-TEXTILES :Through the eyes of a teenager…………
• E-Textiles are visual
• Popularise d by
celebrities
• Linked to performing arts
e.g. dancers, mime acts,
magicians, cirque du
soleil, plus pop stars.
• Linked to MP3 players
You Tube: Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl 2011 – awesome use of e- textiles in both
the band’s clothing and the dancers.
Through the eyes of a D&T teacher……
Electronics Teacher:
• Complexity of electronic
circuits
• Varied use of outputs
e.g. sensors, light
• Use of programming
software
• Designing PCBs
Through the eyes of a D&T teacher……
Textiles teacher…….
• Conductive thread
• Conductive fabric
• Soft switches
• Textile components as switches
• LEDs – all colours, flashing,
rainbow.
Is E-Textiles just about making
things light up?
NO!!
Textiles can be used to sense movement, light,
moisture.
They can be used with soft switches to create sound
e.g. fabric piano
USING LIGHT AS A STARTING POINT IS IMMEDIATE, VISUAL AND INEXPENSIVE.
PUTS THE WOW FACTOR INTO TEXTILES AND A GOOD STARTING POINT
FROM WHICH TO BUILD.
4 WAYS TO INTRODUCE LIGHT INTO
TEXTILES PRODUCTS
• FIBRE OPTICS
• ELECTROLUMINESCENT WIRE
• ELECTRONIC “KITS” –
EXISTING ELECTRONIC
PROJECTS
• CONDUCTIVE THREAD AND
FABRIC
USING FIBRE OPTICS
Fibres that allow light to
travel along them.
Must be attached to a light
source e.g. LED at one end.
The light then comes out of
the other end.
Lots of different widths.
Commercially used for data transmission as
well.
ENGINEERING
ELEGANCE
www.cutecircuit.com
WINNING DESIGN
KS3 RESOURCE
“ENGINEERING
ELEGANCE”
- from D&T Assoc
www.data.org.uk
Circuit board for t-shirts
Poppers used to attach
to shirt.
Fibre optics in the classroom.
(very low tech!)
FIBRE
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OPTICS
Lengths of fibre optics (from cheap
lamp is fine) need to be cut cleanly at
one end. (Hold together with heat
tape.)
Stick LED in a blob of blue tack to
hold it steady.
Use heat gun to apply blob of glue to
top of LED.
Firmly hold the cut edge of fibre
optic bundle on top of the glue so
they are coming directly out of the
top of the LED.
LED
Using fibre optics in the
corsage.
Glue
Fibre optic
lengths
bound
together
with heat
tape.
Top of
LED
Working with EL wire (Electroluminescent)
A thin copper wire coated in a
phosphor which glows when an
alternating current is applied to it. This
has a PVC sleeve around the outside.
NOTE:
Only curve
the wire –
don’t bend it
too sharply or
the copper
wire will snap
and the light
won’t work.
www.surelight.com
3 Piece EL Wire Evaluation Kit
3 x 0.5m
Inverter
£12.00
Don’t buy wire and
inverter separately –
too tricky to solder
together. Always
buy as a kit.
There is nothing to
learn about
electronics – treat it
as a braid!
Couching down
EL wire.
Stretch
background
fabric in hoop
to make
stitching easier.
WORKING
WITH
LEDS
ELECTRONIC KITS
CREATING A TEXTILES PRODUCT AS A CASE FOR
THE CIRCUIT BOARD.
Nightlight Project
Flashing LED kit
Used for Skull
badge.
LINK ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS WITH
CONDUCTIVE THREAD, FABRIC AND OTHER
TEXTILE COMPONENTS TO CREATE OWN CIRCUIT.
The basic circuit:
Battery, switch
and LED joined
together by
conductive
thread.
Working with LEDS
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What types are there?
Standard high brightness (many colours but
this affects cost/LED) from 10p upwards
Rainbow (change colour without any
programming) about 65p
Flashing (will flash in predetermined way, if
used in conjunction with another LED it can
make that flash also) about 35p
Surface Mount (much smaller and flatter)
about 13p
+VE OR ANODE SIDE
OF BATTERY HOLDER.
THE BASICS
LED
-VE OR CATHODE SIDE OF
BATTERY HOLDER.
Image : possytronics
LED MUST BE THE CORRECT WAY
ROUND.I.E. LONG LEG JOINED TO
ANODE AND SHORT LEG JOINED TO
CATHODE.
Differentiating between the
legs of an LED in class
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Tie thread around anode
Curl up the cathode more times than
the anode
Mark on fabric which is anode and
which is cathode.
Never stitch the 2
legs of an LED
together – it won’t
work!
POWER SUPPLY
Cell
Retainer
3V
Coin
cell
Mini
slide
switch
Squeeze solder paste here.
3v PCB
Practical Activity
Create Basic circuit 1:
 Either make a sample for
display board to show 2 LEDs
in parallel
 Or make a simple brooch
using just 1 LED
USING SOLDER PASTE
www.electronelec.co.uk
USING SOLDER PASTE
Squeeze small blob onto silver pad on the PCB – using the syringe
Squash the battery holder and switch into place.
Turn oven onto
maximum heat.
Insert temperature
probe.
Use multi meter to
check oven
temperature.
Watch for solder to
change to shiny
silver at about 240.
Open oven door
and switch off
timer.
Allow to cool
before handling
Basic Circuit - with 2 LEDS in parallel
Switch
The anode legs (long ones) are stitched
together.
Battery
The cathode legs (short ones) are stitched together
and joined up to the cathode end of the battery
holder.
Practical Activity: Create Basic circuit 2
Using Conductive fabric
SOFT (Pressure) SWITCH
Use foam to separate the conductive fabric.
Cut a hole in centre so when compressed, the fabrics meet through the hole to
complete the circuit. Circuit is broken when pressure taken off switch.
Attaching conductive thread to soft switch.
Slide needle between the foam and
conductive fabric.
Come up into conductive fabric about
5mm from edge.
Oversew about 4 times to get a good
connection between the two.
Turn the switch upside down so that the
thread is coming off the bottom surface
and stitch to one leg of the LED.
Repeat for the top of the switch, oversewing the conductive thread 4 times and
stitch to one side of the battery holder.
Soft (pressure) switch circuit.
Great for toys – squeeze the phone to make the glasses
light up!
Practical Activity: Circuit 3
Textile Components as a switch
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Create a “pocket” which has patches of conductive
fabric on either side of the inside. Battery cell is
inserted next to conductive fabric – they are
always in contact.
Stitch metal poppers onto reverse of patch and
onto product.
Use conductive thread to join the poppers to the
rest of the circuit.
Circuit only works when poppers are joined and is
broken when they are taken apart.
Press studs as a switch.
Create
own
battery
holder
Truly flexible circuit
– no chunky
electronic boards
or components.
CREATING THE BATTERY HOLDER
INSIDE THE BATTERY HOLDER.
Fold in half and stitch with normal
thread the conductive fabric pieces
just above and below the fold.
Top edge
outside
inside
OUTSIDE: on one half
stitch the male half of the
press stud close to the
edge.
Go through 2 holes using
normal thread.
Conductive fabric
Press stud
USING THE CONDUCTIVE THREAD:
Attach conductive thread to one piece of conductive fabric and
stitch it to the outside and join onto the press stud.
inside
outside
The second line of stitching will
be longer as it runs down the
inside to connect to the second
press stud.
Conductive fabric
Press stud
Conductive
thread
Stitch LED as usual with conductive
thread.
Take one leg down to the female
half of the press stud. Then repeat
with the other leg.
Doesn’t matter at this stage which
way round the LED is.
Insert coin cell so it sits between
the conductive fabric and push
press studs together.
If nothing happens, turn the cell
over and try again.
Stitch up sides of felt to make a
snug pocket for the coin cell.
OTHER WAYS TO USE TEXTILES
COMPONENTS AS SWITCHES.
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METAL ZIPS – connection is made on
closing not opening.
VELCRO – can buy conductive velcro
but expensive. (PRICE £4.99 (ex vat) per 100mm
Possytronic ) Try threading conductive
thread through the surface of normal
vecro.
POPPERS/HOOK & EYES
Zip as the switch –
simplest way is LED lights
up when the zipper teeth
are in contact
Can you spot the
problem with this!
Adapt this to use in a
more practical way – e.g.
insert a pocket in a t-shirt.
Eyes flash when zip fully
closed.
What next………….
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Consider existing products and how
the use of e-textiles might enhance
them and engage students.
Using surface mount electronics to gain
more control of how the e-textiles
perform
Resources list on my website and
course CD to get you started.
SUPPLIERS FOR E-TEXTILES
www.electronelec.co.uk
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3v pcb kit - £1.15 + VAT or pre soldered £1.75 + VAT
LEDs – from 6p
Solder paste - £13.75 + VAT
Oven - £22.90 + VAT
Conductive thread – £22.90 + VAT
Coin cells – CR2032 Lithium coin cell 16peach.
www.mindsetsonline.co.uk - Conductive fabric - order Zelt.
www.rapidonline.co.uk – rainbow LEDs
WHEN ORDERING LEDS – CLICK ON OPTO TO FIND THEM.
Websites for ideas:
www.cutecircuit.com – wearable technology design company
www.instructables.com – search for Lynne Bruning also Fabric
Buttons by Pulsea.
www.fashioningtech.com - part of the wearable electronics
community, great for sharing ideas and resources.
www. enlighted.com - great gallery of e-textile garments and
accessories ( does have bras and thongs!)
www.talk2myshirt – another community site for wearable
electronics
Google images for Leah Buechley - she developed the lilypad
arduino board. Also look for her work on You Tube. Try Craft
Video: Craft meets Tech at MIT by makemagazine.
CDs
“Engineering Elegance” Key Resource CD by Heidi AmbroseBrown. Available only through D&T Association on line shop:
www.data.org.uk. Accessible by non members also.
Resource
Vault/
Non
members
FREE DOWNLOAD click on non members and scroll down to Secondary
classroom resources, click on Engineering Elegance for short series of slides,
teachers notes and company profile of Cute Circuit.
SEE MY HARDCOPY OF ENGINEERING ELEGANCE
Videos (10 mins each – show how a fashion drawing becomes reality, with etextiles dress.)
http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/engineering-elegance-design
http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/engineering-elegancemanufacturing
http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/engineering-elegance-awards
MOVING FORWARD WITH
E-TEXTILES
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Surface mount technology
Programming pics to create a variety of
outputs
Flashing light sequences
Changing colour sequences
using tri coloured LEDs
Produce sound