Month: May 2021

Concept

For my open project I wanted to work with detecting stress through through galvanic skin response as well as finding a way to incorporate my dog into the project. The person would wear a shirt that had the main electronics on it, and the animal would have a bandana with a patch of conductive fabric. The glove that attaches to the shirt would act as the sensor, with the inside having conductive strips to sense stress (sweat). When stress reaches a certain threshold, the motor in the collar begins to vibrate, gently reminding them to do hug their pet and de-stress. When the person hugs their animal, this would act as a switch which turns off the motor and resets the system. The shirt and bandana have a futuristic aesthetic to tie together the technological parts.

Objective

Working from home and school work can be stressful and people often do not notice how much their stress level might rise. According to the NIH there is some research showing that pets can help reduce the levels of cortisol (a chemical related to stress) and can help people relax. Knowing that the neck is a sensitive part of the body, I wanted a motor to be the subtle nudge so that stress is a private thing rather than a public thing. It can be more stress full to realize the people around you can see that you are stressed. By encouraging people to interact with their pet and relax with a creature that loves them and doesn’t care about work or school, it can be a healthy way for people to take breaks and spend more time with their animals.

Parts List

• Conductive fabric
• 220 Ohm resistor (x2)
• 10k Ohm resistor
• T-shirt
• Motor
• Conductive thread
• Lipo battery
• Wire
• Red felt
• Red fabric
• Yellow fabric
• Cotton Thread
• Velcro
• Metal studs

Circuit Diagram

Circuit diagram can be found in drive.

Process

Due to not being able upload photos of process they can be found here.

Final Project

I was only able to finish the bandana for my dog, and only just started the shirt and glove.

Reflection & Next Steps

This is honestly a case of time mismanagement and thinking something is simpler that it is. Having three separate pieces that work together and involving those pieces in a way that is not only practical, but functional as well was very difficult. I very quickly steered away from LEDs because I wanted this project to be more personal and for the wearer, but it led me into working with components I have had minimal success with in the past and that I had never put together like this before. I lost a lot of time to figuring out how I wanted it to work rather than actually putting it together. I definitely will be finishing this project on my own time because I think it is such a neat idea, but it has deffinitely taught me to never underestimate how long something might take you.

Resources & Related Works

Cyberpunk 2077 – Samurai demon’ bandana | Spreadshirt. (n.d.). Spreadshirt. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.spreadshirt.com/shop/design/cyberpunk+2077+samurai+demon+bandana-D5d3933d413615129eaed54f3?sellable=kaMrljXXrVt1yrLLobY2-610-41

Farnsworth, B. (2018, July 17). What is GSR (galvanic skin response) and how does it work? imotions. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://imotions.com/blog/gsr/

H. (2020). Interested sensors. E-textile swatch exchange. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://etextile-summercamp.org/swatch-exchange/interested-sensors/

INUPATHY. (2020, October 15). イヌパシー. 愛犬の気持ちを心拍から読み解く. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.inupathy.com/en/

NIH News in Health. (2020, April 6). The power of pets. Retrieved May 1, 2021, from https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets

Sensoree. (2021). GER mood sweater. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://sensoree.com/artifacts/ger-mood-sweater/

ZOLNAR. (2021). Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.zolnar.com/

CONCEPT & OBJECTIVE

The idea of this wearable is to create a meditation timer. This timer is set for one minute of mindfulness to help the user quiet their mind when they are possibly overwhelmed. When the mindfulness arm band is on the user, the wearable is idle and serves as a fashion piece. However, when wanting to practice a minute of meditation, the bracelet can be taken off which triggers a 6o second timer. For each 10 second interval, a pair of LEDs change colour to signal the passing of time. When the 60 seconds are up, the user is met with a rainbow animation and peaceful melody to alert the one minute has been completed.

I know personally, nearing the end of this semester, I suffered tremendously with my personal mental health and found that incorporating just one minute of meditation helped me relax and listen to what my body needed most; rest. “Have you ever wanted your mind to leave you alone? Try this. Set a timer for 60 seconds, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. If you notice yourself getting distracted, simply return your attention to the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe. That’s it. Seriously, try it (Whitaker, 2017).” 

PROCESS

I first started sketching the circuit for my wearable. At first, I was going to use the CPX’s built in switch, however decided to include an external switch for better wearability.

I then started to test my circuit’s functionality using the CPX and alligator clips.  I attached a metal snap to the positive alligator clip and the other to the negative alligator clip to ensure the same result would be reflected when sewing the snaps onto the armband. I created and edited my code based off a Handwashing Timer Code and a 10 Second Timer Code found on Adafruit’s Blog.

Link To My MakeCode File

After ensuring the circuit was functioning with the alligator clips, I began creating the arm band from scrap felt I had lying around the house. I measured the dimensions of my wrist size onto black felt and cut three horizontal strips. I then decided on the width of my armband and cut multiple purple felt strips to create the weave pattern. After the foundation of the weave was laid out, I cut off the excess and hot glued the strips in place. I then proceeded to attach the CPX to the armband with non-conductive thread (embroidery thread). Next, I sewed the circuit with conductive thread connecting to the GND and A5 Pin and attached a metal clasp to each end.

The final step of completing the wearable was sewing on the white circle of felt to diffuse the LEDs and add some decorative elements. I decided to add a lotus which represents strength and hope. Afterwards, I plugged in my CPX to ensure the circuit and code were still functioning. Luckily enough, I experienced no issues on the first try!

FINAL PROJECT IMAGES

IDLE                                                        DURING MEDITATION

           

WEARABLE BEING WORN

YOUTUBE LINK TO WEARABLE OVERVIEW!!!

PARTS LIST

• Circuit Playground Express + Power Adaptor
• Conductive Thread
• Metal Snaps
• 3 Felt Pieces
• Embroidery Thread (Non-conductive thread)
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun
• Sewing Needle

REFLECTION & NEXT STEPS

Overall, I am very proud of myself for creating this wearable! I liked how I created a product that I would integrate into my everyday life and even has a pretty aesthetic to encourage consistent use. From the last wearable I created, I achieved my goal and improved on the stitching of my conductive thread. This time the sewing was clean and tight to prevent any short circuiting. This project was a mix of both my expressive wearable and skill sharing workshop. I took the idea of the timer from the handwashing timer and then implemented the metal snap switch from my expressive wearable tote bag! I learned how to successfully build a timer in MakeCode while adding additional elements like melody and animation! In the future, I would be interested in purchasing a battery pack instead of plugging the adapter into my laptop for easier usage.