Abstract
The development of new applications or ways of interaction applied on textile substrates has been proved to be a good opportunity for product design, with significant exploratory character. The main goal of this project is to create a possibility of extending the function of a textile substrate by combining it with electronic elements and conductive ink. Specifically, an alternative that transforms a home textile product into a non-conventional musical instrument was developed that could acquire inclusive, didactic and exploratory qualities. This can add a new interpretation of music, musical objects and the purposes of our home textiles. A textile musical instrument based on a MIDI piano keyboard was developed, using a microcontroller with an interface for capacitive sensors. A pattern printed with electrically conductive ink on a textile fabric for bed linen acts as a keyboard and is connected to the microcontroller’s capacitive interface. The development of the conductive pattern involved preliminary screen-printing experiments with conventional inks, to validate the parameters of the printing process and the surface design. Later, two conductive inks were tested to print the actual keyboard. The final object allows the user to interact with the textile producing sounds according to the touched area of the printed pattern. Practical tests have shown the reliability and ease-of-use of the developed textile keyboard. In future work, validation of the developed object with the targeted audience will be carried out. Aspects such as washability and rubbing will also be further studied to determine needs related to additional finishing processes.
Presenters
Joana MachadoStudent, MSc Design and Marketing of Textile Products, Apparel and Accessories, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal Isabel Cabral
Postdoctoral Fellow, Textile Engineering, Centre for Textile Science and Technology, Portugal Helder Carvalho
Assistant Professor, Dep. Textile Engineering, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
INTERACTIVE TEXTILES, E-TEXTILES, CONDUCTIVE INK, SURFACE DESIGN, TEXTILE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
