This conductive ink can make your clothes smarter

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University of Tokyo researchers have created a new ink that can be printed on textiles in a single step.

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As the dream of a world with everyone wearing smart clothing continues to become a reality, University of Tokyo researchers have developed a new conductive ink that will enable electronics to be printed on stretchable fabrics.

(Source: Someya Laboratory/University of Tokyo)

“Current printed electronics, such as transistors, light-emitted diodes, and solar panels, can be printed on plastic or paper substrates, but these substrates tend to be rigid or hard. The use of soft, stretchable material would enable a new generation of wearable devices that fit themselves to the human body,” the team led by Professor Takao Someya explains.

The ink can be easily printed on textiles and patterned in a single step. This is made possible through the combination of fluorine, an organic solvent and silver flakes, which when mixed, maintains its electricity even if stretched to more than three times its original length. As you can imagine, this makes it ideal for smart athletic apparel that monitors things like heart rate and movement.

Using their new ink, the researchers have developed their first prototype — a wristband muscle activity sensor — by printing an elastic conductor on a sportswear material and blending it with an organic transistor amplifier circuit. While it may not replace your fitness tracker just yet, the sensor can measure muscle activity by detecting muscle electrical potentials over an area of 4×4 square centimeters with nine electrodes placed 2 centimeters apart in a 3×3 grid.

LG Chem’s reveals hexagonal batteries for round smartwatches

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LG Chem is bringing 25% more battery capacity to wearable devices.

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When it comes to wearables, especially smartwatches, one of the biggest obstacles to overcome so far has been battery life. Given that the devices are adorned to the wrist, size and space are often limited. As a result, batteries are required to adhere to certain form factors in order to properly nestle inside.

Open up any mobile gadget today and chances are that its rechargeable battery boasts a square or rectangular shape. With a restricted amount of space, such a shape may not always be the best option when it comes to a circular watch. This leaves quite a bit of wasted room that could be filled by battery. In an attempt to solve this conundrum, LG Chem has come up with a solution: a coin-sized, hexagonal battery.

This new innovation, which sports a design that allows for it to cover more surface area, reportedly improves capacity as much as 25% compared to its rectangular counterparts. With the charge of most smartwatches somewhere around one day, this battery will prove to be favorable for manufacturers looking to give their device a little more juice and push the boundaries of heavy usage.

Even better, this is only the beginning. LG has shared plans for other unusually-shapped batteries, which include an L-shaped one and a rectangular model with a hole in the middle, that are said to improve the running time of gadgets without compromising their aesthetics. And it couldn’t come at a better time, as reports suggests that smartwatches will make up at least 40% of the wearable market by 2016.

Growing up, we were always told to abide by the “KISS” principle — or “Keep it simple, stupid” — which states that most systems work best if their design doesn’t entail any unnecessary complexities. This also applies to wearable technology, as LG has demonstrated. In order to take these body-adorned devices to the next level, innovation is needed everywhere, from MCU and screen power to wireless and battery capabilities.

This interactive dress visualizes New York City’s subway

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LEDs on this FLORA-powered dress light up according to nearest subway line.

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For those of you who have ever lived in or visited New York City, you know just how intimidating the subway system can be. Cognizant of this, Boram Kim has devised a clever (and stylish) solution to the problem. As shown on the runway at NYU ITP’s Spring 2015 Fashion Show, the Maker created an interactive dress capable of locating the nearest station through illuminated LEDs.

The garment — which visualizes the entire mass transit map in silver thread stitched on a denim-like material — employs an embedded GPS module that can detect a wearer’s location and then highlight the closest subway line via a series of NeoPixels.

“For example, if the user is closest to Classon Ave. station, which is a G train, the whole G line will light up with green color,” Kim writes.

On the inside, the Maker embedded several Adafruit FLORA (ATmega32U4) and GPS modules, all of which are soldered together. A NeoPixel strip was cut to create smaller pixels for the various station lights, which were wired and hot glued to the inner lining of the dress. A 3.7V LiPo battery is tucked away inside a little pocket.

Surely one of the more innovative wearables we’ve seen lately, you can head over to the Maker’s official page to learn more.

DECKO is an LED watch that bares its parts on a circuit board face

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This 60-LED watch may be the geekiest timepiece ever. And we love it.

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Aside from the pocket protector, the wristwatch has become a staple for any true geek. And we’re not just talking about any ordinary wrist-adorned device, it has to be unique — the dorkier, the better. So whether you’re a businessman, an athlete or an engineer, anyone looking to show off their geekery will surely love the latest creation from Terminus Electronics: a wearable that displays time using LEDs rather than the typical pair of rotating hands or digits.

Dubbed DECKO, the half-dollar-sized watch reveals the time by animating 60 LEDs on a circuit board face. Admittedly, it is as basic of a “smartwatch” as they come with only a few features like motion and tap detection for wake-up, and light sensing for auto-brightness. Unlike most of its teched-out counterparts, however, the device boasts a low profile and can last for six to 12 months on a single coin-cell battery.

In order to tell time, the hour winds from 12 o’clock around to the current hour, while the minute hand animates in place after the hour hand stops. This allows both the hour and minute to be distinguishable even when they overlap.

The low-power timepiece sleeps to save power when not in use, and wakes up when put into the usual horizontal viewing position. The watch can also be turned on and off by double-tapping the side of its case.

Time set mode is accessed with a quadruple tap of the watch, while a subsequent tap is required to start the process. This will cause the minute hand to begin rolling like a marble around the clock. From there, the time can be adjusted by simply rolling your wrist forward or backwards, and locked in by holding it steady.

An interesting feature of the DECKO is that it not only shows the time but how its embedded electronics work. Based on an Atmel | SMART SAM D21 MCU (which could be found the center of the face), the watch packs a 32 kHz crystal oscillator to keep time, an accelerometer to detect orientation and movement, and a light sensor to measure ambient light. The electronics are soldered to the board and housed inside a rugged metal case that is available in aluminum (black or silver) and brass.

What’s more, the wearable is water-resistant and fully customizable. The case fits standard 18mm NATO and ZULU straps, enabling you to mix and match various styles — ranging from steampunk for Maker Faire to patriotic for 4th of July celebrations. DECKO is available in a caseless version as well, which gives Makers the choice of designing their own enclosure for the inner PCB face.

Does this look like a watch you’d love to have? Head over to DECKO’s Kickstarter page, where the team is currently seeking $60,000. The first batch of devices is slated to begin shipping in November 2015.

Gesto allows you to use any part of your body as a controller

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Gesto is an open source kit for gesture recognition, motion patterns and muscle analysis.

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When it comes to user interfaces for today’s devices, there are two words that every tech enthusiast loves to hear: Minority Report. The concept of gesture control was made popular back in 2002 during Steven Spielberg’s film, which featured Tom Cruise’s character navigating a gestural interface with sensor-embedded gloves on a giant transparent screen. Fast forward several years and innovations like Thalmic Labs’ Myo armband are making that sci-fi-like technology a reality. With aspirations of bringing that capability to the masses, one Portuguese startup led by Maker Ricardo Santos has developed an open source board kit for gesture recognition built around an ATmega1284P MCU. Unlike other systems which require the use of cameras and calibrations, the aptly named Gesto is able to transform any part of the human body into a controller.

Once attached to the body, the AVR based system works by reading a user’s muscle activity and analyzing bio-signals in real-time. This enables a user to control a wide range of electronic devices through wave and pinch gestures, interact with computer-based applications by drawing letters, numbers and figures in thin air, not to mention turn any surface into a touch interface by simply applying finger pressure. And that’s just the arm.

Gesto is capable of recognizing movement patterns from any part of the body, such as a foot, leg or torso, and relaying these signals instantaneously. This is accomplished through the combination of EMG muscle sensors and three-axis accelerometers. Unlike other solutions on the market, this kit is not influenced by the environment nor does it require having to raise a hand in front of a camera. Instead, Gesto can be implemented in the dark, tight spaces and pretty much anywhere else without any problems. The boards don’t need ground electrodes either, meaning less cables and noise.

The platform employs the same algorithm, no matter the gesture, letting a user carry out actions that were never before possible, whether that’s turning a table surface into a music machine or commanding an entertainment center in a more intuitive manner.

For its crowdfunding debut, Gesto is available in two separate versions: an out-of-the-box ready kit for starters (Caelum) and a fully-configurable dev kit (Stella) for more experienced inventors. Both units are based on an EMG circuit and an ATmega1284P yet boast much different form factors — Caelum measures in at 40mm x 40mm, while Stella a bit smaller at 35mm x 20mm.

Caelum comes with eight reusable electrodes, cables, a 3.7V rechargeable battery, a microUSB cable and an elastomeric band, and connects to an accompanying mobile app via Bluetooth, enabling a user to create their own gestures easily without programming. 3D printable designs for the modular band will also be made available, allowing Makers to utilize Gesto throughout various parts of the body. Meanwhile, Stella is an Arduino-compatible, fully-configurable kit comprised of a tinier board, 16 disposable electrodes and cables for connection.

“From Stella you get the raw muscle data by SPI communication. It’s like an external sensor that you can connect to an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, for example. We provide all you need to start doing gesture recognition and muscle analysis,” the team writes. “Here the possibilities are endless, because you are not limited to Bluetooth connectivity! Use Wi-Fi or IR, combined muscle data with other sensors.”

What’s more, each Gesto unit has four bipolar muscle channels, and provides Makers will all of the necessary tools to do conduct muscle analysis: software filters, machine learning algorithms, feature extraction, data compression and integration, all of which made available in various languages including Matlab, C, Python, Java.

“Gesto provides free software that you usually find on expensive platforms,” its creators add. “We eliminated the ground electrode by creating a virtual ground. This means you can measure muscle activity in any part of the body without extra cables and electrodes.”

Intrigued? Head over to Gesto’s crowdfunding page, where the startup is currently seeking $75,000. Delivery is scheduled for March 2016.

Tell time with this 3D-printed binary watch

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Maker creates his very own 3D-printed, ATtiny85 powered binary watch.

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What can we say? Makers just love finding new ways to tell time. Testament to that, Tim Keeley recently took it upon himself to devise a slick, 3D-printed binary watch. The wearable reveals the hour and minutes by flashing two LEDs in sequence to represent two 4-bit binary numbers — the left LED represents the 0s, while the right denotes the 1s. The first set of flashes indicates the hour, the second set of flashes is the minute.

“It has three pieces that pressure fit together very nicely. The body and the face pieces have an oval so that you can align the parts up evenly when the two pieces are together. The face piece has two tabs to help hold the circuit board in place. It also has pin holes to add your own strap,” the Maker explains.

Powered by an ATtiny85, the circuitry is comprised of two resistors, two LEDs, a momentary pushbutton and a CR2032 battery holder. Meanwhile, the sketch flashed onto the MCU was derived from fellow Maker Sam DeRose’s Nerd Watch with only a few minor changes.

“The circuit board should be about a 37mm diameter circle and the components should be positioned in a window 28.5mm wide by 22.5mm high in the middle of the board. I put all the components on the top with only the batter holder on the bottom. This is a little tricky but can be done,” Keeley notes.

Time to make one of your own? Head over to his project page on Thingiverse, as well as check it out in action below.

This tiny sensor platform lets you build your own wearables

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MetaWear Coin is a complete, low-power solution that enables both Makers and businesses to develop wearable sensor products.

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Back in April, MbientLab unveiled a tiny BLE module that enabled Makers to build production-ready wearables right from their smartphones. MetaWear worked by connecting a product to a mobile device via Bluetooth, then logging or streaming six-axis of motion and environmental data. Following its success, the team has now launched a Kickstarter campaign for the MetaWear Coin — a mini, coin-cell powered sensor that can be used to develop any number of smart designs.

The highly-integrated Bluetooth platform includes wireless, sensor-packed hardware housed inside a simple and functional case, along with easy-to-use SDK and open source codes to help get Makers started. The MetaWear Coin is equipped with a BOSCH accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a BLE radio, a programmable pushbutton, an LED, GPIOs/SPI/I2C for additional sensors, as well as ARM Cortex-M0 SoC with 256KB of Flash and 16KB of RAM. The board can run three to six months on a single, replaceable battery.

Beyond that, the MetaWear Coin packs a robust set of features all into a tiny form factor, which makes it ideal for “always-on” applications in nearly every setting, such as health and fitness, gaming, navigation and sports. As the popularity for embedded fabric continues to rise, the sensor platform will also enable developers to craft efficient and intelligent wearable solutions for smart clothing, bags and other garments. Projects already created include an intelligent pocketbook, a temperature logging grocery bag and a concussion band that can detect head trauma, just to name a few.

“You tell the board what to do: read temperature data, log motion data, download log data in memory, sound an alarm when a button is pressed, adjust the volume of your Bluetooth speaker when the MetaWear is shaken, or anything else you can think of,” the team writes.

MetaSense’s proprietary software provides users with powerful analysis tools to better process sensor data, log information, receive input, keep tabs on movements, recognize gestures, turn devices on/off and trigger events.

Looking to get started on your own wearable solution? Head over to MetaWear Coin’s Kickstarter campaign, where the MbientLab crew is currently seeking $50,000. Delivery is expected to kick off in November 2015.

This necklace lets you play videos from its tiny screen

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The Tiny Screen Necklace lets you watch movie clips, show off your artwork and more.

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Chances are that you’ve watched a movie on the big screen, a small screen and even the screens of your handheld devices, but never before have you seen some scenes on such a tiny screen (try saying that five times fast) as the one on the wearable gadget devised by Margarita Benitez.

The aptly named Tiny Screen Necklace is exactly what it sounds like: a miniature screen that plays videos. The Maker, who happens to also be a fashion professor at Kent State University, created the project as both a piece of jewelry and video art that aspires to open a wide range of endless possibilities. As a recent OZY article points out, this can be anything from an artist broadcasting their work, a filmmaker showing off his movie trailer or a social media star having her Instagrams on a loop.

The idea for the necklace first came about following conversations with TinyCircuits’ Ken Burns, the inventor of the small and stackable electronics platform that can be found at the heart of this wearable unit. If you recall from its original Kickstarter debut, the TinyScreen is only 1.02″ x 0.98″ with a 0.96” viewable area that features a 96×64 OLED display and 16-bit color depth. The device was built to be personalized and programmed by a clever user base, much like Benitez, which is all made possible thanks to the ATmega328P driven TinyDuino.

What’s nice is that TinyScreen enables users to do everything from make a light blink to create a custom video game control console roughly the size of a quarter. Software processes the footage that is uploaded to the display embedded inside Benitez’s 3D-printed case. Typically, only a couple of lines of code are needed to get started.

In the future, the Maker hopes to not only sell her necklace, in both DIY and fully-assembled form, but open source its 3D-printable design as well. Benitez may even follow in the footsteps of TinyCircuits and launch a Kickstarter campaign of her own in the coming months. Until then, she remains optimistic about the future of wearable technology.  

“Maybe we’ll have clothing that can actually change patterns one day,” she tells OZY. “Media is always going to be everywhere, and if it can fit on your body, it will.”

Intrigued? Head over to the Maker’s official page here, and see the necklace in action below.

Introducing the Arduino GEMMA

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This wearable board is one bad mamma GEMMA!

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First announced last fall during Maker Faire Rome, the Arduino GEMMA is now available. The board, which was developed in collaboration with Adafruit, is a tiny wearable MCU that packs a whole lot of awesomeness in a 1.1” (28mm) diameter.

Similar to the latest version of the Adafruit GEMMA, the mini yet powerful platform is based on the ATtiny85. The MCU is supported in Arduino IDE (1.6.4 or higher) and programmable via microUSB. This enables all Makers to easily create wearable projects with all the advantages of being part of the Arduino family.

“It’s perfect for when you don’t want to give up your Adafruit FLORA and you aren’t willing to take apart the project you worked so hard to design. It’s the Adafruit and Arduino lowest-cost sewable controller,” Adafruit notes.

Ideal for small and simple projects sewn with conductive thread like the LilyPad Arduino, the tinyAVR powered Arduino GEMMA fits the needs of nearly every entry-level wearable creation — ranging from reading sensors and driving addressable LED pixels to Apple Watch-inspired buzzing mindfulness bracelets. The board features a USB bootloader with a nice LED indicator that resembles a USBtinyISP, allowing Makers to program it with the Arduino IDE (with just a few modifications). Beyond that, the Arduino GEMMA is equipped with a mini-USB jack for power and/or USB uploading.

“The ATtiny85 is a great processor because despite being so small, it has 8K of flash, and 5 I/O pins, including analog inputs and PWM ‘analog’ outputs. We designed a USB bootloader so you can plug it into any computer and reprogram it over a USB port just like an Arduino (it uses 2 of the 5 I/O pins, leaving you with 3),” Adafruit adds. “In fact, we even made some simple modifications to the Arduino IDE so that it works like a mini-Flora.”

Keep in mind that although it can be configured using the Arduino IDE, it is not entirely Arduino-compatible. Aside from the on-board tinyAVR MCU, other key specs include:

• Size: 1.1” (28mm) diameter and 0.28″ (7mm) thick
• Operating Voltage: 3.3V
• Input Voltage: Up to 16V (reverse-polarity protection, thermal and current-limit protection)
• I/O Pins: 5 (of which 2 can be used as PWM outputs and 1 as analog input)
• Flash Memory: 8KB (ATtiny85)
• SRAM: 512B (ATtiny85)
• EEPROM: 512B (ATtiny85)
• Clock Speed: 8MHz
• MicroUSB for USB bootloader
• JST 2-PH for 3.7 external Li-Ion battery
• Hardware I2C capability for breakout/sensor interfacing

Think you may like an Arduino Gemma for your next DIY wearable project? The board is now available for $9.95 on both Arduino.cc and Adafruit’s online store.

These kirigami-based, stretchable batteries may power future wearables

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Stretchable batteries inspired by origami could one day power smartwatches and other wearable devices, researchers say.

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Researchers at Arizona State University have created a battery that can stretch up to 150% of its original size, opening the door to a wide range of potential applications in wearable technology. Based on the origami variant kirigami, the team was able transform a larger battery into several smaller ones through a series of folds and cuts. As smart fabrics, watches and other devices continue to emerge, companies will surely be eager to embrace such an easily integrated, flexible power supply opposed to its much more rigid siblings.

Led by associate professor Hanqing Jiang, the battery was developed using slurries of graphite and lithium cobalt dioxide, then coating them onto sheets of aluminum foil to make positive and negative electrodes. From there, they added bends and cuts to establish the patterns. The result? A battery that could stretch while still maintaining full functionality.

Despite engineers having used origami as inspiration for foldable batteries that can flex in the past, the team says this marks the first time a lithium-ion battery has been made stretchable.

“Energy-storage device architecture based on origami patterns has so far been able to yield batteries that can change only from simple folded to unfolded positions. They can flex, but not actually stretch,” the researchers explain.

In order to test its efficiency, the kirigami-driven prototype battery was sewn into an elastic wristband attached to a Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch. Even as the strap was stretched in various ways, the battery was able to continue powering the watch and its functions, including playing video.

You’ll want to see it in action below!