How to make a Heating and Cooling Jacket

Project by CU Boulder GEEN 1400 Engineering Projects students:
 Diana George, Jenna Sobieray, Alex Cossoff and Chris Francklyn

Have you ever dreamt about having a jacket that kept equilibrium?

Well today is your lucky day! Now featured on Instructables.com is a jacket that both heats and cools based on one’s body temperature. Incorporated into this jacket is a heating and cooling system that is all powered by something called the Lilypad Arduino. The Lilypad is a microcontroller board used for wearables and e-textiles and is quite simple to use. All you will need is a little sewing background, some materials, and a whole lot of time. With all three, you will be able to have your own equilibrated jacket!

Materials
1 winter jacket
1 zip-in liner
1 Lilypad Pro Kit (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8873)
1 E-sewing kit (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8797)
6 temperature sensors (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8777)
6 tri-colored LEDS (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8467)
1 flexible solar panel (optional)
1 rechargeable battery (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=339)
1 battery charger (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8786)
3 ping-pong balls
About a yard of iron-on fabric

**This Instructables only is part 1 of the jacket. See part two for more materials used.**

Step 1 Preparing

1. Order all of your electronics from the web including: Lilypad Pro Kit, E-sewing kit, temperature sensors, tri-colored LEDS, solar panels, and whatever else you think you can get for cheap from the web.
     * Order these first so you will be able to start once you get your jacket

2. Purchase a ski type jacket with or without a zip-out liner jacket. The jackets do not have to be new—buying used will help your budget and make fatal mistakes less painful to your pocket.
       * If the jacket does not include a liner that zips out, you will need to buy one. Make sure to purchase either a fleece or some type of liner that FITS into your shell, the outside jacket. You will need to check this out before buying.

3. You will want to wash you jackets before so that they will be ready to wear when finished.

4. Once you have completed these steps, you will be ready to start fabricating your jacket.

Comments

[yaly]

Nice instructable I also had the same idea in my mind for a long time but i didn't know how to do it but now you only have one problem is:What will you do when you want to wash the jacket, will you disassemble it, wash the electronics or water proof the electronics?
You can wash it but without the arduino, batteries and solar cell, I think??

[rkeyzer]

the next generation of clothes

[sageserver]

Cool! i always wanted to do this but with peltier modules instead. Im thinking of an aluminum panel on the outside with an aluminum panel on the inside with the module in between. Most likely on the back since it doesnt hinder you and provides heating/cooling to the core. Idk how effecient in cooling/heating the body with only a few amps from the solar panel.

[atilladolphun]

verry nice work on the jacket.
some day i may see about making something simular to that wen the money becomes available to do so.

[suayres]

Actually, there are children who have conditions which interferes with their ability to regulate their body temp (frequently associated with inability to perceive pain). Such a garment would be a literal lifesaver. Presently, they must wear vests with pockets into which cold-packs can be inserted. This would be so superior.

[Treknology]

Nice idea, but I think six colored LEDs inside 1/2 pingpong balls is going OTT. I would be installating only two such LEDs: One each on the insides of the wrists. When heating, a) How long does the battery last? b) How much of a draft issue do the fans present? Now you just need the 80s speach synthesiser. "Adjusting, size fit." "Drying. You clothes are now dry."

[NeMewSys]

Can this jacket heat itself? If so, how does he do that? I once tried to build a self heating gloves, but i couldnt find a good resistor wire that would create a satisfying heat.

[projectbronco]

I'm thinking you can use liquid nitrogen running through flexible pipe for cooling...
I don't see any downside to that at all. lol

[JellyWoo]

This is very cool! How much did the total cost? Thanks.

[olavxxx]

 I have always dreamed about having shoes with heating and cooling..
eg. in the winter, heat.. in the summer, or inside: cool :-)

Not sure how I would do it though.. maybe a fan and peltier?

[WanderingOak]

I first saw this on April first, and figured that it must have been an April Fool's gag, especially when it had the 'Further information coming soon' bit...

[seanm29a]

This is so cool.

How sensitive are the components to moisture?  Would getting wet from rain or sweat be a concern?

[hypergami]

All of the components involved in the project are designed to be machine washable safe (as long as the battery is removed), so I would assume that moisture shouldn't be too much of an issue with regards to damage. However, I'm not sure how the presence of moisture would affect the readings that the sensors produce. Definitely something to look into! If we have some time to test it, we will post the results!

-Chris Francklyn

[hypergami]

 As of now, the jacket is only capable of sensing and indicating temperature changes within the jacket. We designed that jacket to be broken into two projects that are simpler to complete in parts; this is only the first. The second (heating and cooling) will be added later. This is mentioned at the end of the instructable I'm pretty sure. I don't want to post our plans yet, so keep an eye out for the finished piece by early May!

Bacterium: Yes, the LED portion could be skipped, but plan on having at least one LED as an indicator of the temperature within the jacket. Otherwise, the only way to know where the temperature readings are is by plugging into a computer.

RichMitch: The purpose of the two jackets is that the electrical components are protected from the elements and potential damage. However, the electronics could easily place on the inside of a single jacket. '

Thanks for the support everyone! its been great to read the comments being posted!

-Chris Francklyn

[Entropy512]

This seems to be an instructable for a "shows your temperature jacket".

How does it heat you?  How does it cool you?  (I'm especially interested in the latter, as the same technique should be usable to make a cooling blanket for a bed, basically the opposite of an electric blanket.)

[Learndy]

Looks great at first sight! I couldn't find out how it cools. Well, there is a fan in the parts list - but it found it nowhere else.

[neoptolomus]

Very, very cool idea. Is it comfortable?

[bacterium]

 Could the LED portion of this just be skipped?

[danielemur]

What steps will part 2 include?

[paganwonder]

How 25th century can you get!!!   The perfect outer wear for our bi-polar front range spring and fall weather!

[richmitch]

 Hurry! I've been trying to figure out the best way of doing a cooling jacket for ages... heating as well is a bonus! Have you thought of just using a fleece vest with an ordinary jacket? If you put a suitable connector in you can still wear the jacket without the liner. Gotta see the rest of this, keep up the good work!

[Yerboogieman]

Homeostasis.

[bruc33ef]

 Great preview of the clothing of the future.