New designs by Victoria University of Wellington wearable tech students
Every year the students in the MDDN351 Wearable Technology course, taught by Anne Niemetz, complete individual and group projects to demonstrate the skills they have learned. Below are some of the top individual projects from this year’s wearable technology students.
The Hello Hoodie by Alexia Swan
“As a media design student, I was excited by the opportunity to work on a more hands-on, physical project. This project was my first exploration in the field of wearable tech, which I believe to be an area of design that is becoming ever more important and prominent in our day-to-day lives,” Alexia says.
Alexia’s project is the Hello Hoodie, a piece of wearable tech that can help visually impaired people better navigate their surroundings and avoid danger. Alexia herself is completely blind in her right eye, so her aim was develop a piece of technology that she (and others with similar impairments) could use to navigate.
Alexia’s project comprises a wristband that lights up, and a proximity sensor. The sensor is hidden under her clothing on her right-hand side and detects when people or objects come within 80cm of the sensor. When an object comes close, the wristband (worn on Alexia’s left wrist) lights up, with the lights turning off when the object moves away again.
Whirl by Charlotte Weir
“I have always been interested in experimenting with different art mediums and making costumes. I wanted to learn how to add lights, motors, and sensors into a wearable costume and code them,” Charlotte says.
Charlotte’s project is called Whirl, and is a skirt that lights up for use as a costume piece or special occasion outfit. The skirt has several LED strips attached, along with an accelerometer which makes the skirt light up as the wearer moves.
“I wanted to make a fun piece of wearable technology,” Charlotte says. “The skirt is designed to be a stand-out piece of moving art which would attract people’s attention.”
After creating this model, Charlotte is looking at making different versions of the skirt, including different patterns, textures, and coloured lights.
Cassini by David de Vigne
“I had always been interested in the intricate methods used to produce small pieces of wearable technology like watches and fitness bands, and I saw this wearable technology paper as a chance to further explore this area and attempt to create a piece of wearable technology that was both compact and technologically complex,” David says.
David’s project is called Cassini. It is an LED wrist-band that lights up in different ways depending on the movement of the band. The band includes an accelerometer which controls the way the wrist-band lights up, changing the lights depending on how fast the wearer moves their wrist.
“Cassini is a wearable accessory that aims to capture the concepts of rotational velocity, and rotational inertia, expressing these simple, yet complex motions through the use of illumination. Users have the ability to physically interact with both of the rotational concepts in an engaging, playful manner,” David says.
David aimed to make the wrist-band both comfortable and compact while still functioning correctly, using the design of a FitBit as inspiration. He also wanted to create and elegant and fun design that entertained the wearer.
“I am planning on developing Cassini further, continually finding new methods of production,” David says.
Cellular Malignancy by Eilish Marra
“I’m interested in designing for the human body to enhance or augment every day behaviours,” Eilish says. “This project was also a chance for me to learn how to write code for the Arduino LilyPad.”
Eilish’s project is called Cellular Malignancy, and is a critique of cell phone addiction. The project involves a series of silicone attachments and a pressure sensor. The sensor causes the silicone attachments to light up when the wearer uses their cellphone for long periods of time. Calibrating the sensor correctly was the biggest challenge, Eilish says.
“I was inspired by the idea that technology could be used to enhance biological behaviours,” Eilish says. “I studied the way the body defends itself against disease, and then designed my project as if cellphone addiction was the disease. I wanted to give the audience a glimpse into a future where our technological addictions have become actual diseases.”
Eilish plans to continue her research in the field of body augmentation through technology.
Lyra by Alexia Swain, Charlotte Weir, and Michelle Xiaoyan Wu
“We wanted to create a female science-fiction costume that would be elegant, regal, and hi-tech in appearance,” Charlotte says.
Alexia, Charlotte, and Michelle created a design called Lyra, a white and gold costume. The costume took eight weeks to put together.
“We were inspired by characters from video games like Overwatch and League of Legends,” Charlotte says. “We also looked at other costumes inspired by these games, which helped us figure out which construction methods would be successful for what we wanted to create. We used this inspiration to create an original character design that would feel right at home in a science-fiction world.”
The costume is a mix of fabric, rhino plastic, and EVA foam. Both the arm guard and the front of the body suit are illuminated by LEDs which can be switched on and off using a controller embedded into the bodysuit. The rhino plastic wing moves with the wearers arm, collapsing when the wearers arm is resting and curving around the wearers body if they move their arm forwards or backwards.
“We’re all very proud of our final design,” Charlotte says.
Ferabell by David de Vigne and Aylin Tarutter
“Both of us were drawn to the elegant forms found in aquatic environments,” David says. “We saw this project as an opportunity to create a garment that shows off beautiful underwater displays that are often hidden under the surface.”
David and Aylin’s design is called Ferabell, a piece of wearable technology mounted onto a black bodysuit. The wearable technology, comprised of a series of spheres joined together, lights up in different colours and patterns using a series of LED lights.
“While creating Ferabell, there were three main questions we had to ask ourselves,” David says. “We had to ask what form would best showcase our idea and illuminate our garment, which materials would be most cost effective and accessible, and what lighting effects would best complement our garment. It was a complex process.”
David and Aylin plan to continue work on this design, although they are not sure what direction that work will take yet.