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~MFADT style ~

The exchange wishes to emphasize the importance of physicality and quality workmanship in an increasingly digital world.

~ e-Textile Swatch Exchange

A swatch is a microcosm: a small insight into a much bigger picture. It is the tip of the ice-burg, and it holds a world of potential inside. In creating a new swatch we are simultaneously cataloging knowledge and developing skills.

~ Definition from Swatch Exchange participant Becca Rose

1) Create a swatch. It can be a switch or a sensor. You can use any materials you like. Document it on the blog using the same format as the post you made in class:

  • Title. Give it a name
  • Description. What does this swatch do? How does it work?
  • Materials. What materials are used? (cardstock, copper tape, conductive yarn, LEDs, etc)
  • Techniques. How was this swatch constructed? (e.g. folding, sewing, knitting, soldering, etc)
  • References. Where have you seen it before? What inspired you?

2) Make three more identical ones. You will give these to three classmates next class. (You will have 4 total swatches)

3) BRING YOUR ARDUINO and related supplies for next class. Watch Arduino, The Documentary, as you make your swatches 🙂

Week 3, In Class Assignment: Nipple Gnome

w: Jed Segovia & Eliza Bruce

Description: The swatch contains white conductive yarn that contains positive and ground leads embedded into the swatch.

Materials: Regular yarn and conductive yarn.

Techniques: The swatch was made by knitting.

What it does: This is a button/pressure sensor that reacts to being squeezed. The patch on the bottom is sewn with conductive thread which is connected to conductive snaps. The patch on the bottom is connected internally to a “flap” which is lined with conductive copper fabric and a sliver of conductive foam for detecting the squeezing.

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Mysterious Swatch (Cat + Alonso)

Title:

The Monet of Fabric Swatches

Description:

Through the use of a multimeter tool, we determined the conductive parts of the swatch. We used alligator clips to connect different parts of the circuit together with a battery and an LED.

There are two metal hooks connected to conductive thread. They create a simple circuit when you add power and a light to it.

Materials:

Conductive thread,  conductive fabric, conductive snaps.

Techniques:

The swatch was sewn.

Function:

Post Human Remote Control

 

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Week 3 In-class Assignment

You are a research team of material scientists, interaction designers, and craft historians. Your current project is examining interactive electronic swatches found at a historical site.

Using the tools and knowledge we have discussed so far, determine how the swatches work.

Document your findings in a blog post with the title Week 3 Sensor Research: (Title of your swatch(es)

Title. Give it a name
Description. What does this swatch do? How does it work? Please document any methodologies you use to determine its function (e.g. multimeter, LED tests, etc). If you would like to take it apart, please ask me first.
Materials. What materials are used?
Techniques. How was this swatch constructed?
Function. How is / was this used in everyday life? Where have you seen it before?

Assignment Week 2- Albee

 

From in-class exercise,  I finally clarified what is different between series circuits / parallels circuits  just by seeing how it connects not from the drawing circuits. From my last circuit connecting with more than one leds, I realized that I RED led takes a lot more electrons than the others. Originally I connected one of each blue, white and red led with 3v battery, but the red one couldn’t be able to light up due to the current issue. (which is really cool fact!)

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On the illustrate assignment, I recreate a scene from The Jungle book. I really impressed by the jungle fire scene (red flower). On the material choice, I limited to find some used material from whatever I can find at my place. I used a black paper bag to make a kind of 3D like scene. I think it looks better in complete dark space, all the yellow and red leds blend the color together, and looks like it was surrounding with fire in a dark jungle.

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Documentation

Week 2 : Sublime Light – Sofia Aronov

Two fishes are fascinated by a shiny course in the sky.

When the user’s hand gets closer to the sensor (distance or light sensor) a light on the back of the frame, much stronger, turns on more and more intense, backlighting the shape of a huge abyss monster predator who was generating the shiny source itself.

The small light is connected to a battery with copper tape after a failed attempt to connect it through conductive thread through the 3 juxtaposed plastic sheets that support the paper components of the abyss monster. This attempt necessary to hide the circuit through the shape and the patterns of the fish itself.

   

Assignment week 2 [Eliza]

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So this illustration is actually based off of a quote I read from Ray Bradbury about creativity that stuck with me because I overthink everything. I really wanted to practice my paper engineering here (clearly) so my circuit is maybe the secondary thing in this picture. But I styled the copper tape like a wire from the lamp that lit up the scene slightly. I was originally going to light up the sign above the desk, but I realized it would prevent me from writing the actual sign itself, having a battery and a bunch of copper tape in the middle of it (unless I wanted to use a bunch of batteries and hide those; sigh, maybe next time), so I stuck with the little lamp.

Week 2 homework _ Cat Schmitz

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Above is the homework. I wanted to make an illustration of a bunny rabbit. This isn’t particularly from a book, but I’ve seen the little quote pop up everywhere. The second photo is the final, it’s hard to tell that the light is on. The battery is hidden underneath the head.

 

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In class activity #1- worked well!

 

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In class activity #2- did not work so well! I tried adding some extra batteries, but then I think I overheated my LEDs. Not sure what the issue is.

 

Week 2. Assignment_Illustration Project -Misung

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‘No one in his family thought of giving him a hug.’
I chose a sentence from ‘Hug me’ by Simona Ciraolo.

It’s the story of the universal need for affection and friendship. I decided to give him a hug(touch).

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This is my sketch.

I imagined that the little cactus has a heart like a human. When it’s touched or pressed, the cactus react to it presenting its delight (by turning lightings on).
I tried to make a parallel circuit using only two lines, and linked each side of LED node with a line of copper tape passing through the cactus.

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Since copper tape lines looked messy, I decided to hide them and the battery as well. So I overlapped the bottom of cut outs and also for hiding LED nodes, I covered them with paper flowers.

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Hug->Delight = Touch->Lights on