The world of wearables is becoming an increasingly popular way for makers to express their creativity. From custom watches and connected jewelry to full-body suits that allow you to interact with your environment, the possibilities are endless. Learning about wearable electronics can be a bit daunting for those who are just starting out – but it doesn’t have to be! Whether you’re looking for guidance on where to get started with Arduino programming or inspiration from some of the projects out there, this blog category has got you covered. Here we will provide tutorials and resources on creating interactive wearables as well as a look at the work of some inspiring makers that should give you the motivation to dive right in!
Do you want to get into E-textiles but need somewhere to begin? This E-textiles Starter Kit is the perfect way to get everything you need to get started all at once! Get the book Fashioning Technology, an LED Sewing Kit, and the Lilypad Beginner’s Kit!
I’m really excited about this new sewable Arduino compatible board called the FLORA.
In celebration of Advanced Materials Month here on MAKE, I’m bringing you the most fabulous wearable electronics using innovative conductive materials like fibers and paints. This is the roundup to end all other roundups; it showcases 22 of my favorite projects. Above: Soft Circuit Musical Hats
It’s hard not to get excited when you see assistive technology like the sign language interpreting Show and Tell Glove from Tel Aviv area makers Oleg Imanilov, Zvika Markfield, and Tomer Daniel. The glove uses a LillyPad Arduino to sample flex sensors, an accelerometer, and gyro into an ADK board that then talks to an Android app that translates sign language and gestures into written text. To improve performance, a neural network is fed gestures manually to compensate for varying hand sizes directly on the handset. They’re still working out the bugs, but the current results are more than encouraging.
In this episode of Becky’s Workshop, learn to make a headband that glows with your heart beat. First construct a stretchy headband from brocade and grosgrain ribbon, then embed the circuit boards and clip the sensor to your ear.
This geeky necklace, available in the Maker Shed, depicts an ASCII heart, as seen in countless email and text messages: <3! The pieces are laser-cut in Sterling silver, then hand soldered to silver tubes that hang from the 20" curb chain. The necklace has a high-shine finish and is treated to reduce tarnishing.
For New Years Eve, Ch00f built these EL Wire shutter shades which use an analog circuit to react to sound like a VU meter. He’s posted full build details including schematics and tips for dealing with EL Wire, which he found to be the trickiest part of the project.
