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Step 6SOFT CIRCUIT
The soft circuit that connects all the sensors to the power source, microchip and wireless communication device are a very prominent design aspect of the suit. Since for reasons of convenience and necessity they run visibly across the outside of the suit. Rather than seeing this as a problem we view it as one of the main design aspects.
Our (so far) preferred method of creating these conductive traces, which cover distances up to a max of 1.5 - 2 meters (when reaching all the way to the toes), is to work with thing strips of stretch conductive fabric. This method allows us to create stretchy fabric, comfortable, washable conductive connections that have a resistance of about 100Ohm/meter. Other options would be to use conductive thread, but since we work with stretchy materials and the stretchy stitch uses up a lot more thread that I directly sewn connection, we would reach much higher resistance using thread. Also, to be able to sew with a sewing machine, the full layout of the conductive traces on the suit would have to be clear before the suit is assembled and this has never been the case, since there are so many unknowns before the dancer first puts on the finished suit, and we find it much easier to be able to make alterations when the suit is worn and we can see exactly how it fits and where best to place the sensors.
After we have fused interfacing to a large piece of stretch conductive fabric from LessEMF (www.lessemf.com), we cut it into 5mm wide strips and are then able to fuse these to the suit with the heat from an iron. Once the traces are in place we then isolate them by covering them with a good layer of Aleene's Flexible Stretchable Fabric Glue (http://www.duncancrafts.com/). We have found this to be the best solution so far. It does not influence the conductivity of the trace, nor does it much impede on the stretchiness of the fabric. It dries within one day and after 10 days of curing time it can even be quite safely washed with lukewarm water and a mild detergent. The first puppeteer version did not use conductive fabric but we disguised the fragility of the thin wires, by feeding them through fabric tubes. The second Puppeteer version we used only the stretchy fabric glue to isolate the traces and then some baby powder on top to remove their initial stickiness, even once dry they like to stick to each other. For the last Puppeteer version we used the stretchy fabric glues to isolate as well as to mount strips of the same white fabric, so that they were less prominent, but still part of the texture and design of the suit.
In the last Puppeteer version we decided to make the sensor detachable so that we could exchange them and also it because quite a convenient way to attach them to the stretchy conductive circuit. We attached machine poppers to both sides of the sensors as well as to the ends of the conductive traces. We fabricated the sensors in three different lengths:
- Long for the knees, underarms and elbows
- Medium for the hips and shoulders
- Short for the wrists
- Customized shapes for the heels and toes
Our (so far) preferred method of creating these conductive traces, which cover distances up to a max of 1.5 - 2 meters (when reaching all the way to the toes), is to work with thing strips of stretch conductive fabric. This method allows us to create stretchy fabric, comfortable, washable conductive connections that have a resistance of about 100Ohm/meter. Other options would be to use conductive thread, but since we work with stretchy materials and the stretchy stitch uses up a lot more thread that I directly sewn connection, we would reach much higher resistance using thread. Also, to be able to sew with a sewing machine, the full layout of the conductive traces on the suit would have to be clear before the suit is assembled and this has never been the case, since there are so many unknowns before the dancer first puts on the finished suit, and we find it much easier to be able to make alterations when the suit is worn and we can see exactly how it fits and where best to place the sensors.
After we have fused interfacing to a large piece of stretch conductive fabric from LessEMF (www.lessemf.com), we cut it into 5mm wide strips and are then able to fuse these to the suit with the heat from an iron. Once the traces are in place we then isolate them by covering them with a good layer of Aleene's Flexible Stretchable Fabric Glue (http://www.duncancrafts.com/). We have found this to be the best solution so far. It does not influence the conductivity of the trace, nor does it much impede on the stretchiness of the fabric. It dries within one day and after 10 days of curing time it can even be quite safely washed with lukewarm water and a mild detergent. The first puppeteer version did not use conductive fabric but we disguised the fragility of the thin wires, by feeding them through fabric tubes. The second Puppeteer version we used only the stretchy fabric glue to isolate the traces and then some baby powder on top to remove their initial stickiness, even once dry they like to stick to each other. For the last Puppeteer version we used the stretchy fabric glues to isolate as well as to mount strips of the same white fabric, so that they were less prominent, but still part of the texture and design of the suit.
In the last Puppeteer version we decided to make the sensor detachable so that we could exchange them and also it because quite a convenient way to attach them to the stretchy conductive circuit. We attached machine poppers to both sides of the sensors as well as to the ends of the conductive traces. We fabricated the sensors in three different lengths:
- Long for the knees, underarms and elbows
- Medium for the hips and shoulders
- Short for the wrists
- Customized shapes for the heels and toes
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