wearable tech

Maker Scouts: Light it Up

Maker Scouts: Light it Up

As the Los Angeles host for the Maker Education Initiative’s Maker Corp program, The Exploratory has had the honor of seeing 18+ adults using the same materials that we use with 4+ Maker Scouts and noticing the differences and similarities. It occurred to me today, that children are more apt to have a story – a narrative that is connected to their making projects. Sometimes, its a story that comes from the project – a way for them to establish a sense of place. Other times, we find that a provocation is helpful as a starting point. I’ve done e-textile projects before and without a provocation, I have noticed that the young makers tend to make copies of other people’s design. So, for this introduction to e-textiles, I thought that I would ask ” What kind of superhero would you be and where would your power come from?” I also asked ” What do you LOVE so much that you feel a strong need to protect it?” We had the best answers – ” Cats, Dogs, Eagles, my family, and best of all – MILK.”

Wearable Tech: Smart Fabrics 2013

Wearable Tech: Smart Fabrics 2013

Last week I had the opportunity to attend and speak at Smart Fabrics 2013 in San Francisco. Smart Fabrics is the most interdisciplinary conference I’ve been to in a while. As Stacey Burr (member of the conference advisory board and VP of adidas Wearable Sports Electronics) said in her opening address, topics ranged from “bras to tanks and DARPA to DIY.” In the crowd were CEOs, students, textiles and PCB manufacturers, artists, fashion designers, material scientists, “integraters”, consultants, and branders. It reminded me of the mix that we’ve been aspiring to achieve locally at the Toronto Wearables Meetup.