Bodily Sketching With Sensable Stretchables
Alan Poole, Robb Mitchell, Katrin Wolf, Rahimullah Sarban · 2016
Come and get creatively hands on with the next generation of stretch sensors! This studio will see participants familiarize themselves with, and devise exciting new uses for dielectric elastomer (DE) stretch sensors. Unlike normal stretch sensors, these skin-like sensors are highly durable and reliable. DE sensors can also be customised into nearly any shape or size, whilst being only 0.5mm thin makes them near undetectable to the wearer. After introducing the technology by walking through some easy to adapt examples, participants will be supported to express and test their ideas around stretchable interfaces through a collaborative maker session. Through attaching the sensors to our bodies or by modifying second hand garments, participants will explore the design opportunities of DE sensors. The session will culminate in a design crit of participants' application mock-ups and a discussion of opportunities for future interactive materials, garments, artefacts and environments.