A Piece of Cloth Brings New Way To Interact With Devices

Most of the gadgets that are invented are either controlled through screens and button. It is true that it gets the job done, but they lack something - warmth and humanness. A new invention by an Art student Yen Chen Chang of Royal College brings that warmth and humanness to the gadget. The new invention is made out of a piece of cloth that can interact with everyday devices.

The art student used a conductive yarn that was made out of 80 percent polyester and 20 percent stainless steel (something that are used in smartphone gloves), Chang carefully weave and crocheted a series of objects, controlling the devices by means of pulling, squeezing and stroking. The metal in the fiber causes the piece of cloth to change conductivity and initiate the communication with the gadgets.

It works well with the Squeezy Juicer, a juicer can work through squeezing an oversized knit ball between two people. As squeeze the ball even more, the faster you'll get your orange juice. Another gadget that uses the technology is the Touch of Breeze, a fan that works whenever you stroke a knitted patch of carpet. As you put more pressure, the faster the air flows. Last on his list is the Tension Lamp, which is activated by a sagging knit rope as the lamp's dimmer.

All of the inventions are used in everyday life. Chang said that by means of incorporating the sensing technology into today's electronics, people will see it as something totally different.

The textiles are made to work with the sensitivity, meaning that it depends on how well the textiles are created. A knit, which is looser because of its looping makes a better matched for stretching and squashing, therefore, giving the object a bigger range of motion. A set of globes are created by means of weaving so it could be tighter together, which limits the range of resistance that gives the textile a more precise function. 'You could use it as an on or off switch,' he says.

Though, no one will find the value of the juicer, Chang noted that it isn't the purpose of the project. It is just a mere experimentation on how the material can affect how people interact with the devices. 'I'm not saying it's going to totally revolutionize already existing technology,' he says. 'But it's something that's completely refreshing; it's inspiring in a way.'