Accessorizing with networks : the possibilities of building with computational textiles

What is a conversation like between a handbag and a scarf? How can you mediate their conversation and when is your skirt allowed in on the discussion? As a woman is about to leave her house, her handbag may solicit the weather forecast from the humidity sensor on its fellow smart curtain. It might deliver the news of an impending downpour by saying 'I think it might rain. Go get your umbrella." And after deliberating with her coat pocket, the handbag may use ambient light to caution the user if she's forgotten her cell phone. This work presents a prototype network embedded in fabric that allows, for example, sensors in a scarf to communicate with a handbag and vice versa. Novel materials and technology are integrated into a set of fabric blocks that can be configured into familiar garments and accessories that borrow and share sensory data. The system is designed to afford anyone the ability to build, rip apart and reconfigure intelligent objects. Because the user is able to 'accessorize' as desired, digital behaviors can always be changed to meet individual evolving needs.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Nanda, Gauri

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• V. Michael Bove, Jr.

• Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33890

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33890