Fabricademy Study Group in Makerbay!

I joined a meetup held by Makerbay and DIY BIO HK, it’s a Textile x Bio x Digital Fab Study Group! In this few weeks, we started experimenting with e-textile, I don’t have so much electronic skill, so learn from basic by open source: https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05/
Please join us if you are interested too: https://www.meetup.com/DIYBIOHK/events/nrczsrybclbjb/

I found that I am interested in soft switches, so I try to follow the instruction below to make one.

I didn’t have any conductive fabric, so I took conductive tape from our electronic bench instead. But it’s easily to break, hope I can get the conductive fabric next time.

I sewed them face to face, and cut a square in the middle if the sponge.

I flipped it over and put the sponge in.

TESTING TIME! It turned out good!

After that I try to make a circuit on the fabric. I made loops with the wire and sewed them on fabric.

I hand sewed snaps at the both ends of the switch. But I found that the connection is not very good, I need to press the joints to light up the led. So I decided to use conductive thread next time.

After I learnt the concept about the momentary switch, I want to combine momentary switch and toggle switch in one circuit. I want to make something similar as the design below:

This time, I added the battery inside the soft momentary switch, and I got conductive thread this time, so I can sew on webbing, it’s much more strong and stable connection!

I want to keep the circuit clean, I tried to hide the resistor in the switch, so we have resistor and battery in one switch! I used the same sewing method as before, but used conductive thread this time.

Attach different colour leds on the fabric with conductive thread.

Then I used some beads to cover the conductive thread and add snaps on each led, then it’s done!

Testing time!

I love the result so much, next step I am going to think about how to use them on our garment! Please let me know if you have any idea~

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Ms. Angie Zhou

Education Specialist

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Angie Zhou is an Education Specialist at MIT App Inventor. She was the founder and CEO of Dreams Come True in Shenzhen, where she developed online coding courses for kids. She also has previous curriculum development, teaching and staff training experience at First Code Academy in Hong Kong.