Wearables

Wearables are a category of technology particularly relating to devices that can be worn on the body. Think electronics like smart watches and sensors strapped to various limbs/body parts, or even embedded in clothing, or purely mechanical devices like arm and leg braces. As we tackle many physical challenges, your project might take the form of a wearable for your co-designer.

Electronic wearables typically involve microprocessors (like the Arduino, a prototyping microcontroller board that expands the use of a microprocessor chip on board), sensors, a power source, and some kind of output device like an LED, a touch screen, motor or haptic feedback, or data for analytics. Power considerations are important for the often small size of a wearable, with most devices powered on some kind of lithium-ion battery.

Form factor is often the most prominent concern with how a wearable works with the human body. Ergonomics attempts to reduce pain or pressure at certain points of the body when in use with a device. You might see this kind of analysis most commonly done with mobility aids or office chairs, things that support movement or lack thereof. Still, even device casings can serve to be more ergonomic for wherever they will be placed.

In thinking about form factor, consider how you are measuring the part of the user where the product may be worn:

Bodies are squishy. Are you measuring more than once, and do you have a consistent procedure for measuring? There are established procedures for measuring many body parts that are used by the medical community. Try looking up these procedures and finding pictures or videos of people taking these measurements. You may need to find the proper anatomical terms for the locations that you are measuring.
Bodies move. Will the body part move or flex during typical activities? This will affect its shape and stiffness, and may cause a wearable device to fall off.
Bodies change. Is the user prone to changing size, shape, or weight in the period in which you expect them to use the product? This is mostly a concern for children, but there may be other cases as well where this kind of change may matter. Consider building in some adjustability or slack in your product for longer-term usability.
Bodies get smelly. Hygiene is more of a concern when products are right up against a user's body for long periods of time, particularly if it's bare skin. Have you thought about ways that your product might be washed, or incorporated any covers that can make it easier to clean?

Wearable Technology Curriculum

The CRE[AT]E Challenge is fortunate to partner with the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) and share their wearable technology and functional fabric curriculum with students. One of 17 Manufacturing USA institutes, AFFOA’s mission is to rekindle the domestic textiles industry by leading a nationwide enterprise for advanced fiber and fabric technology development and manufacturing, enabling revolutionary system capabilities for national security and commercial markets.

AFFOA’s AFF Engineering and Design with Prototyping Unit Curriculum is a resource student teams can use to learn and apply the engineering and design process and prototype actual functional wearable prototypes! You can access the curriculum here.