This is my presentation for the WhyMCA - Hack Reality 2 - The Rise of Information hackathon, held in Milan on May 25, 2013

1. milano, june 25, 2013
riccardo marchesi
digital fabrics

2. sources: CISCO, Jim Cicconi, AT&T, Steve Leibson, Computer History Museum, CNN, University of Michigan, Fraunhofer

3. “These things are not
just smart phones and
tablets”

4. internet of things
... ...
internet
of fabrics

5. textile
sensor interface ADC μ
physical
quantity IP
module
WAN
available 2013-2015 2013-2015 2015-2018 2016-2020
internet of fabrics

6. why fabrics?
they cover about 75% of
our body
fabrics are everywhere in our
homes (bed sheets, carpets, walls,
sofas and chairs..
they represent the perfect place
to embed sensors and electronics

7. how can fabrics help us?
sensing elements for rehabilitation
sensing elements for increased comfort
mapping floors for emergencies
posture control
sensing wetness
robotics
? (just use your imagination)

8. how can I do that?

9. electronics
www.arduino.cc

10. textile buttons
www.plugandwear.com

11. Touch sensitive fabric
• Knitted three-layered
fabric, two conductive
layers with a non-
conductive layer in
between
• If pressed, the conductive
layers touch allowing
current flow
• Materials: acrylic yarn,
stainless steel

12. Pressure sensitive
fabric
Characteristics

Activation force 3.6 Kg per
50 mm diameter
•
• More then 1.000.000 cycles
•
• For a 15 cm x 20 cm switch
resistance when pressed:
around 200 Ohm, open
circuit when non pressed

13. textile push button electrical
behaviour
theoretical behaviour
real behaviour

14. textile push button
digital
analog
Rtot
= Ru
+ Rc
+ Rl
≈ C
Rtot
= Ru
+ Rc
+ Rl
≠ C

15. water sensors
www.plugandwear.com

16. digital signals
HIGH and LOW levels

17. textile potentiometer
potentiometer = variable resistor
can be used for controlling sound or light
level, changing the frequency of a flashing
LED

18. textile potentiometer electrical
behaviour
theoretical behaviour real behaviour

19. analog pressure sensors
www.plugandwear.com

20. analog press button
sensitive layer
conductive side
conductive side

21. stretch sensors
www.plugandwear.com

22. reading an analog input

23. matrix pressure sensor
www.plugandwear.com

24. matrix pressure sensor

25. matrix pressure sensor

26. matrix pressure sensor

27. matrix pressure sensor

28. IROMEC – light emitting fabric

29. IROMEC – sensitive top cover

31. posture monitoring

32. rehabilitation

33. riccardo marchesi
@plugandwear
www.plugandwear.com
thank you!