Engineering a costume for performance using illuminated LED-yarns

Hardy, DA ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6028-7555, Moneta, A ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9125-2806, Sakalyte, V, Connolly, L, Shahidi, A ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7780-3122 and Hughes-Riley, T ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8020-430X, 2018. Engineering a costume for performance using illuminated LED-yarns. Fibers, 6 (2): 35. ISSN 2079-6439

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Abstract

A goal in the field of wearable technology is to blend electronics with textile fibers to create garments that drape and conform as normal, with additional functionality provided by the embedded electronics. This can be achieved with electronic yarns (E-yarns), in which electronics are integrated within the fibers of a yarn. A challenge is incorporating non-stretch E-yarns with stretch fabric that is desirable for some applications. To address this challenge, E-yarns containing LEDs were embroidered onto the stretch fabric of a unitard used as part of a carnival costume. A zig-zag pattern of attachment of E-yarns was developed. Tensile testing showed this pattern was successful in preventing breakages within the E-yarns. Use in performance demonstrated that a dancer was unimpeded by the presence of the E-yarns within the unitard, but also a weakness in the junctions between E-yarns was observed, requiring further design work and reinforcement. The level of visibility of the chosen red LEDs within black E-yarns was low. The project demonstrated the feasibility of using E-yarns with stretch fabrics. This will be particularly useful in applications where E-yarns containing sensors are required in close contact with skin to provide meaningful on-body readings, without impeding the wearer.

Item Type: Journal article
Publication Title: Fibers
Creators: Hardy, D.A., Moneta, A., Sakalyte, V., Connolly, L., Shahidi, A. and Hughes-Riley, T.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 2018
Volume: 6
Number: 2
ISSN: 2079-6439
Identifiers:
Number
Type
10.3390/fib6020035
DOI
fib6020035
Publisher Item Identifier
Rights: © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Divisions: Schools > School of Art and Design
Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by: Linda Sullivan
Date Added: 01 Jun 2018 11:12
Last Modified: 31 Aug 2021 13:34
URI: https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/33788

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