Thursday Club: Art-Creativity-Technology & Wellness
Goldsmiths, C4CC, 2012Rain Ashford - http://rainycatz.wordpress.com
Hello, I create interactive wearables and art, working with many flavours of microcontrollers & various components…
I’m an avid self-tracker and sensor superfan!
..and I’m also into encouraging young people to become interested in coding and electronics via creative uses of technology
..the students loved how they could personalise and control electronics very quickly by learning a few examples of code and following a few rules of circuitry!
Pics fromTechnocamps, Aberystwyth, workshops I did with Sophie McDonald
‘Yr In Mah Face’: temperature /mood sensing t-shirt
I’m interested in physiological hacking…
Social interaction – formal and informal events where one is put on the spot / excruciating circumstances: networking, bars, clubs, meet ups, introductions, conferences, etc.
Building multi-sensor wearables which output data on the wearer’s physiological signs comprised of: sensors – tracking physiological
signs: heart rate, accelerometer, temperature, etc.
Actuators Visually reactive Sonically reactive Might record sound / feedback
from user Camera Logging device
I’m fascinated by body modification, cyborgs and how thehe miniaturisation of technology has changed how people build & use wearable tech & electronics; they’re no longer comprised of cold, bulky sharp, boxy & ugly components that one might prefer to remain hidden
Steve Mann – cyborg
The availability of sewable electronic & e-textiles has revolutionised the way I and many other artists & designers work
..plus the styling of some of these components has made them more attractive to work with
LilyPad ArduinoMicrocontroller
Conductive Thread E-Textiles C (ish) Programming Sensors Actuators Hacked Electronics Conductive items
Wearables Sound Artworks Games All Interactive
…allowing me to incorporate the technology into my designs
Examples of conductive thread and wire used as part of my design
Hacking existing tech & combining sensors has allowed me to make pieces such as ‘You Make My <3 Flutter’: a proximity detecting, heart rate sensing ‘techlace’
And for looking at social interaction -‘Yr In Mah Face’: temperature /mood sensing t-shirt - uses Celsius temperature data from a sensor, averages it, then visualises the results via LEDs.
I’m also interested in practical uses - Don’t Break My Heart is a wearable, colour-coded distance warning system prototype for cyclists to wear on their back
Not all of my wearables focus on physiological sensors, some are environmental: Teapot Bunny Ears!
My latest work, Baroesque (barometric skirt) includes both physiological and enviromental sensors
What am I working on next?
..experimenting with GSR & EEG
Thank you for your attention!
@Rainycat http://rainycatz.wordpress.com
http://Rain Ashford 2012