Keywords

1 Introduction

The Maker Movement is prevailing and gradually gathered more and more market prototypes with their own operating, in the meanwhile, developing new products and services. Clever makers combined innovative technologies, such as Arduino micro-controllers and personal 3D printers, contributed to innovation of manufacturing, engineering, industrial design, hardware technology, and education. Many Makers are amateurs, fanatics or student (non-professional), but they are a source of creativity in the community in which providing fascinating ideas and giving value of the product. Even some Maker finally become entrepreneurs, but also founded his own company’s business. In terms of textiles industry which lots of woman interested in, the question of how to participate in this time remarkable activity has become an urgent issue. For a long time, the usage of textiles are either traditional hand crafts or making cloth in fashion industry. However, in relation with the ubiquitous computing and intelligent technology, textiles failed to provide a new form to intervene in the innovative product development, nor can provide a “self-made” and understandable tool kits for people who related to wearable technology. In this study, the main objective of the research echoes the possibility of making smart textiles applications popular for the public especially for woman. According to preliminary research results, we further promote a more convenient smart textiles interactive tool kits, and suggest many types of combinations which are not by welding, but by sewing or engaging. Providing advantage of soft flexible characteristics for making applications of its texture to health care, warmth design projects and so on.

Smart Textiles not only with the physical characteristics of the tactile senses, apparent temperature, etc., which can provide light, temperature regulation, electricity storage, water, odor and other functions which similar to electronic products and at the same time retain the original unique soft fabric, closeness, wearable, stitching, folding, flexibility and other organic qualities, is more suitable to replace chilled, environmentally unfriendly plastic products, the possibility of a more intimate wear that close to everyday life [1]. Though there are many Lego related blocks for interactive (e.g., littleBits) [2], but so far with textile-oriented development of soft switch, control board, or the input/output tool kits for education has not yet been found on the market.

The smart textiles’ characteristics for transmitting electronics’ are different from the ordinary textiles. Besides, their warmness and softness are different from plastic products. Specific smart textiles can replace hard circuit, presented light and temperature feedback. In this study, a website system was designed to test the user experiences and usability in order to find out the appropriate design process management to complete design ideas, and the use of real performance of commodities and demand patterns of behavior.

This study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (grant number: 102-2221-E-130-023 -). A services website (http://www.e-textiles.tw/) was constructed for custom design firm or makers. The data survey from the smart textiles related to sewing projects, electronics and digital technology. The research subjects are correlation with whom engage in customized merchandise studio or individuals. Some soft fabric interactive tools were designed for the application of entrepreneurs and its user experiences and usability were revealed through a constructed website system to explore a well-designed process integration management models in which entrepreneurs, consumers and material providers [3].

We want to let girls, children, adults, or designers with no electronics background can use approachable soft tool kits to add their own creativity and make their own “product”. And in the meantime, understand how electronic equipment originally supposed to work in the surrounding they live every day.

2 Literature Research

Smart textiles have often reminiscent those can deliver exceptional performance with light, sound, electricity, input and feedback. They also commonly were defined as detection of physiological signals or mood changes, and feedback information to the controller to determine what is the reaction on the textiles. Sensatex in Atlanta, U.S [4] launched smart shirt that can be used for medical care in 2006. This shirt can be used for accurate remote monitoring of health indicators of the body’s functions, such as heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature, and the data is transmitted from the personal monitors to the monitoring center for doctor to analysis and processing [5]. Once, there are unusual circumstances, it can remind the doctor by itself through networking immediately. Experts in Philips Co. have developed two experimental magical clothing which color can vary and shown by skirt and the garment according to a wearer’s mood changes or emotional perception [6].

2.1 Smart Textiles, E-Textiles

Textiles that are able to sense stimuli from the environment, to react to them and adapt to them by integration of functionalities in the textile structure. The stimulus as well as the response can have an electrical, thermal, chemical, magnetic or other origin.

Advanced materials, such as breathing, fire-resistant or ultrastrong fabrics, are according to this definition not considered as intelligent, no matter how high-technological they might be.

The extent of intelligence can be divided in three subgroups:

  • passive smart textiles can only sense the environment, they are sensors;

  • active smart textiles can sense the stimuli from the environment and also react to them, besides the sensor function, they also have an actuator function;

  • Finally, very smart textiles take a step further, having the gift to adapt their behavior to the circumstances.

Basically, 5 functions can be distinguished in smart textiles: Sensors‚ Data processing‚ Actuators‚ Storage‚ and Communication [7]. From the analysis of the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) [8], as well as throughout the relevant research results, relationships between human-computer interaction and smart textiles are listed as Table 1:

Table 1. Related Smart textiles technologies [3] [8]
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2.2 Soft Interactive Kits

The so-called electronic interactive kit must initiate interactive response, perceived ability to response; simple manipulation. Advanced applications even need to change the way to make manipulation fun and with learning ability. Joanna Berzowska has shown her work in may field which include Biofeedback and wearable health monitoring, surveillance and privacy, consumer products, universal connectivity, lifestyle products experiments in reactive fashion [9, 10]. In this study, through the analysis of existing interactive kit, we summarized with the feasibility of interactive programs, try to use smart fabric to replace the existing tool kits.

  • Initiate interactive response: interactive voice, video infrared.

  • Summary judgment: perceived ability to cope with human cognition.

  • Change and learning ability: combine with cloud network information e.g. music and so on.

Classification of Smart Textiles Interactive Toolkit:

Currently interactive kits associated with textiles on electronic retails such as Sparkfun [11] or many other wearable devices shopping website are subdivided into five categories. However, for inventors who did not have the basic programming knowledge to understand the combination and application of these kits are really a difficult job to do. Moreover place these hard shell kits on a soft cloth applications should affect very much the appearance of the works. (Table 2).

Table 2. Types of the electronic for textiles
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2.3 Educational Interactive Block

Currently most of the electronic interactive elements are in the form of building blocks for easier to use and more intuitive to present concepts. For example, robot Lego Mindstorms EV3 for robot, Concept of education building block like littleBits [2] to apply to everyday life, as well as the company produced Chicco GIGO Arduino materials. (Table 3).

Table 3. Related interaction kits
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For interaction tools kit, there are three modules of it design patterns:

  1. 1.

    Programming: Free interactive learning software (e.g., Scratch for Arduino (S4A) and compatible learning hardware or blocks).

  2. 2.

    Electronic, Mechanism: Open architecture Arduino control circuit board or electronic control blocks.

  3. 3.

    Resource: Open learning courses in order to support users.

Integration of the three areas not only is the sum of the three specialized fields, but multiplied them by very combination of changes. It makes learning with high affinity and minimum threshold.

3 Research Methods

Currently interaction tool kits made of plastic on the market can hardly be applied on to textiles and wearable devices. The appearances of these hard electronics tool kit on soft fabric is quite unexpected and weird. Therefore, this study base on the idea of combined the characteristics of the fabric and electronic circuits and then analyzed their usage to apply on different soft material projects.

First, the study adapt research tool of experience prototype [14–16] to show and test the solution through an active participation of the users. The experience prototype is a simulation of the service experience that foresees some of its performances through the use of the specific physical touch points involved [17, 18]. First, several interactive soft toolkits were designed and used in the sewing projects to explore the user experiences. Second, a website was built where smart textiles are offered and encourage more people to use these soft tool kits in their sewing projects to collect more ideas of how to apply these soft interaction toolkits in works. The data were sorting out through the systematic way in order to find out an appropriate set of soft interactive DIY kit applications in the design process for designers, artists, etc. For those who usually do not have programming background can still apply in the design innovation stage, we answer the questions of what are the essential equipment for the soft interaction kits? How can this kits to be simple in manipulation? Safe design are necessary. According to the soft tool kits’ development and we look forward that they can be accepted by female who are interested both fashion and interactive technology. They are tools to help creativeness not limited under the technology. (Table 4).

Table 4. Smart textiles interaction DIY kits research structure:
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The experience prototypes are used to analyze what may be composed by dismantling the different types of sensing and feedback with soft fabrics corresponding plastic electronic product features while doing the sewing projects and find out the interactive operation setting of choice. Besides, define how we can use smart textile to replace the hard plastic interactive kit, so as to set up a soft sensing, control and feedback tool kits. The social networking website is to collect projects from different users to explore the application of distributed species of smart textile and to promote and enrich the usage of the application from the toolkits. The results can be applied to the fashion industry and wearable technology sectors. The process of the research are as following:

  1. 1.

    Analysis of human-computer interaction based on the use of interactive situational demands, the dismantling of different sensing, control and feedback types.

  2. 2.

    Data collection and analysis of smart textiles.

  3. 3.

    From deconstruction to application of smart textiles, a complete set of soft sensing, control and feedback tool kits was structured that provides the easy access toolkit in creative process for designers or makers.

4 Result

Wearable technology has become a keen issue today, however, if only electronic or programming experts are able to be competent to use the applications, it will slow the limitations of creativity and innovation possibilities. The concept of this study is to make non-engineers - especially young girls - to get interest in science and technology.

There are two group of specialties involved in this research. Designers developed various concepts starting from understanding and implementing the smart textiles, and engineers try to show functional operation. Moreover, through meetings with users to review each case of the proposed projects, many prototype concept mapping were finally completed. Developed smart textiles interactive prototypes for soft toolkits can be used as an important sources of reference in textiles and IT wearable technology industry, or content-related design development process. (Table 5).

Table 5. Relevant videos of Soft interactive kit [20].
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Construction of the Smart Textiles Interaction Soft Tool Kit Prototypes.

“Button” is almost the first thing to start an electronic. Each project is also relying on input to generate feedback. In order to adapt to the fabric softness, we designed soft button. The button is set to trigger the behavior (e.g., the lights shine, controllers, heat pad or cloth, sound, motor functioning, and even cloud network). See the website of the relevant operation below: (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.
figure 1

Smart textiles ON/OFF switch

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Smart textiles were composed as many electronic components, and by adapting the fabric’s unique connecting ways of fastening, stitching, etc., a set of simple electronic wire components were developed and can be freely combined interactive DIY kits. To allow users to assemble circuit in creative activities, as simple as much to replace different smart fabric electronic modules is important. Each package represents a particular function are pre-designed (i.e., lighting, sound, motor, or sensor) and following the original fabric connected logic and details were designed not assembled the wrong way i.e., distinguish between output power, input, wire to make larger circuits. If interactive kit connected to each other, you can create a heating pillow; a cloth knob can be placed in the middle to create a minor dimmer; or a hat with tracer; all possibilities as much as possible to use the smart textiles to achieve softness and affinity products. (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2.
figure 2

Parts connected different smart textiles kits

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Construction of the Internet Community.

This phase focuses on non-engineering backgrounds for interactive applications and with the aim of investigation the feasibility of smart textiles Soft tool kits provided for real life application for reference.

The prototypes start the discussions of the user experiences. Furthermore, establish a social networking website provide the chance to communicate and resolve the incomplete or uncertain messages. Through the power of social networking sites, the accumulation of various applications of the smart textiles tool kits is getting more. And by revealing the innovation process, a clear and convenient user reference library is established gradually where ideas can be found in order to stimulate the possibility of innovation. (Table 6).

Table 6. Social networking websites
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5 Conclusion

Using smart textiles to create interactive toolkit and adapt in process is effective for enhancing the strength of the creativities. An overview of the results can be divided into four oriented as following:

(1) Applicable smart textiles selected

Collected smart textiles to meet the services of electronic components, and to be relatively echoes intelligent electronic function. Behaviors and attitudes sensed by the input soft toolkits and output by soft interaction toolkits become another interactive types of products.

(2) Behavior and sensor feedback for textiles

Textiles compare to electronic products used in a manner closer to the body. The way textiles can be combined together are also different from interactive blocks. Research focus at this stage divided into three types: Function, Appearance, Operation feeling, as well as the effect of use. Conversion material will result in changing the design concepts because of different input and feedback task and limit, so the use of the prototype to construct and test design ideas become another fast and effective communication tool.

(3) Development of social networking

The creative maker will think of a preliminary model, and then propose solutions to solve design problems, or develop other design direction. Setting the Website of certain activities and workshop to explore the smart textiles interaction toolkits applied as a commodity development cases, in order to get the appropriate usage patterns. Whereby some case studies of the smart textiles interaction toolkit to show as video, in order to be more clear and simple way to use it.