For my keyboard hacking assignment, my goal was to create a relaxing RGB color creator. I wanted to use fabric to create fabric pressure sensors that you could sort of “pet” to add more of that color.

Problems I ran into
The pressure sensor that I created using the velostat and the conductive thread seemed to work fine with a simple hookup to a light and a battery, however, when I tried to use the same sensor I made with the keyboard hookup, the keyboard didn’t read it at all.

New Direction
After a number of iterations, I decided to make simpler fabric buttons using conductive thread and the copper taffeta.

Conductive thread on felt piece

Conductive fabric on felt piece

Pieces of the switch

Creating the switch

Testing the fabric button switch

Attaching the switches to the keyboard

Testing the three switches

Word “Bounce”

HOW TO PLAY?

You have to throw the ball in between 2 circle coppers to connect the circuit and light up the light.

Keyboard Hacking 

What I did is hacking a keyboard the left-right button as a controller to play game. You have to step on left to control left and step on the right panel to control right.

VDO

I made this little rotating paper switch. When you match the arrow to the line, you complete the circuit, turning on the red light!

Here is the switch on “off” mode

Here is the rotating switch when it is on.

Here, you can see the battery and conductive pieces. When the conductive pieces match, positive to positive and negative to negative, the light turns on.

Parallel Circuits

DOGGY

For this Doggy face, I use conductive tape and conductive ink to connect the power.

Illustration

I got an inspiration from the cartoon called Detective Conan. This scene is about a boy who disappear because he try to impress his friend by catching firefly. So he is getting into the wood and he can catch one where alone the river. The best place to find the firefly is where it has clear river and many trees around.

LINK VDO

Particle engineer Paul Luckham and fashion designer Manel Torres from Imperial College London combined cotton fibres, polymers and a solvent to form a liquid that becomes a fabric when sprayed. The material can be built up in layers to create a garment of your desired thickness and can also be washed and worn again like conventional fabrics.

The idea of creating a new way of textile is very interesting. One is sustainable product because the material itself can be transformed and reused. Once it is transformed, it can be sprayed again and again.  In my perspective, this material makes me amazed that the liquid is sprayed just a seconds on body and then turned into garment which fits to individual person. This material can be another solution when people want to fix their cloths.