Expand — Wearable Computing

Tech & Interaction Design — OCAD University — GDES-3015-001

Proposal

Learning from previous experiences on the Expressive / Performative wearable project, the aim of this project is to focus more on the aesthetic aspect of wearable technology. The goal is to decorate and expand the human body and give it a kinetic dimension.

The inspiration comes from the "Solstice — A Kinetic Clock That Changes Shape with the Time" project. This project is an improvement and augmentation of a previous wearable project — replacing the sound sensor with a flex sensor for more accurate readings to activate servo motors. 3D printing is used to fabricate all the moving parts.

Examples & Inspirations

The Solstice kinetic clock — a clock that turns passing hours into moving art, gradually changing shape throughout the day to inspire a more relaxed view of time — directly informed the kinetic, shape-shifting aesthetic of this wearable.

The 3D-Printed "Adrenaline" Dress by Anouk Wipprecht, which debuted at New York Fashion Week, uses biometric sensors to react to its wearer's stress levels. This demonstrated how responsive, body-worn technology can be expressive and performative rather than purely functional.

Materials & Parts

Adafruit Flora× 1 — microcontroller board

Servo Motor× 2 — circular drive mechanism

Flex Sensor× 1 — elbow bend detection

10K Resistor× 1 — voltage divider circuit

Stranded Wireconductive wiring throughout harness

3D Printed PartsPLA — all kinetic components

Harnessblue webbing with buckle closures

Long Sleeves Hoodiegarment base for assembly

Circuit Diagram & Construction

Two servo motors are attached to a harness on the human back just below the shoulders. A flex sensor is attached at the elbow where it is comfortable — it transfers angle values to the Adafruit Flora board, which drives the servo motors to expand and contract the 3D-printed kinetic structure.

Arduino code: github.com/ekenels — Flora Servo Flex Sensor

Process

Kinetic mechanism exploration: Several attempts were made to create kinetic motion with servos — starting with bamboo-stick star forms, cardboard linkages, and straw tests for circular movement. The straw-based circular motion worked best and became the basis for the final mechanism.

3D design and printing: All components were designed in Fusion 360 — including a custom servo housing, linkage arms, and a rack-and-pinion track to hold the pin in place. Parts were printed in PLA and iteratively refined until the movement tested successfully.

Harness construction: The harness was stitched from blue webbing with buckle closures. A long-sleeved t-shirt was first attempted as the garment base, but was abandoned as it made it difficult to put on and off the components — a cardigan-type hoodie was used instead. The Flora board, servo motors, wiring, and kinetic mechanisms were all stitched onto the harness and sewn into the hoodie.

Flex sensor: Soldered and placed on the elbow using a velcro strap at a comfortable position. Connected via stranded wire routed along the harness to the Flora board.

Conclusion

Challenges & Failures

Discovered how little knowledge I had of my own physical dimensions and how difficult it was to adapt ideas to my own physical form. Servo motors are generally designed for circular motion but a linear back-and-forth movement was needed — solving this adaptation took a long time. Initial design used a pullover long-sleeved t-shirt but switched to a cardigan hoodie for practical access.

Critique Reflection

Creating the idea mentally was easy but producing it in real life was very difficult. Working within the limits of my own body gave me empathy for those who are truly physically disabled.

Successes

While it didn't end up looking exactly as imagined, the mechanical movement worked successfully. The kinetic expanding structure responds to elbow flex angle in real time, creating a genuinely expressive wearable.

Moving Forward

Future iterations will use more powerful servos to carry more weight and allow longer kinetic arms. A cover will be designed to mask the mechanism and make it more visually appealing. Potential application as bio-feedback for physiotherapy patients — the device could give positive affirmation when correct motion is detected.

Project Video