Decorative elements can play an integral role as sensors in smart garments. The rose is a ubiquitous form of ornamentation across many craft practices, especially in crochet.
My goal is to explore one technique for three dimensional sensor construction in the form of a crochet rose. Made with a combination of resistive, conductive, and wool yarn, this rose acts as a pressure sensor that can be deformed in various ways to detect a change in resistance. It has many connected layers that beckon to be touched. It asks to be ruffled, pressed, pinched, and flattened, then reset to its original shape. I am continuing to experiment with various configurations of the materials to reach my desired stability and resistance range.
For more on the process, see here.
ABOUT THE ETEXTILE SWATCH EXCHANGE
Swatches are a critical tool and methodology in eTextiles. They are the physical embodiment of a skill, technique, or concept to share with other practitioners. Our nascent discipline depends on shared knowledge: there is no centralized, historical precedent for crafting electronics out of fabric. The swatch is our pedagogical manifesto. This collaborative project attempts to fold our practice into a contextual framework for teaching others in the manner we learnt it.