Make: Wearable Electronics: Design, prototype, and wear your own interactive garments

by Kate Hartman

Our bodies are our primary interface for the world. Interactive systems designed to be worn can be intimate, upfront, and sometimes in your face (literally). Bringing wearable electronics from concept to prototype to product can be both inspiring and challenging. This book gives you what you need to start working with these new materials, tools, and techniques. It covers popular wearable products such as the Arduino Lilypad, Adafruit Flora, and the Fabrickit.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Design, Reference

276 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2013

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic reference for anyone who wants to, you know, make wearable electronics.

I bought this book after trying to incorporate fiber optics into a dress without knowing what I was doing. Soon I learned that I had no idea how to incorporate a battery box into my costume, what battery options were available to me, how to calculate the voltage I needed, how best to affix a light to my fibers, or just about anything else I needed to know to accomplish my goal.

This book answered all my questions, and also answered the questions I was too ignorant to ask. It starts slow and easy, explaining how circuits work and how amps, watts and volts are interrelated. Then it progresses through everything the aspiring wearable electronics designer needs to know, with discussions of textiles, electronics, and eventually advancing into programmable attire.

It turns out lighting is not the only thing one can play with, and dresses aren’t all one can wear. Clothes can move, light up, make noises, react to temperatures, elevate or shrink, and do all kinds of exciting things, when designed correctly.

My ambitions are appropriately elevated. I’ve placed my first order for an Arduino board, and now I’m trying to come up with more ideas for interactive projects to create.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not made any of the projects in this book yet, hopefully someday I will. I have been interested in Ardunio and raspberry pi for awhile so when I saw this book I had to read it even though at the moment I couldn't make the projects from the book.

While reading the book I thought of the jacket Marty McFly wore in back to the future 2 that automatically dried when it got wet and then spoke when it was done drying.

Two things surprised me right away were that there is conductive thread and conductive fabric. I had no idea those two things existed.

I don't know what else to say about the book except that adding electronic to clothes seems so cool. So I think that if you are interested in wearable electronics you might like reading the book and making the projects in the book.

[Victor Ng-Thow-Hing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great primer to the world of wearable e-textiles. It goes through all the basics and helps get you started quickly without bogging you down with too many technical details. However. It’s also very thorough in breadth, helping the novice be aware of all the current microprocessors, sensors, actuators, circuit techniques and design elements to give you a good broad understanding of where to start and to have the confidence to begin a project. I’m ready to start making something!

[Filip Hlasek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very inspirational and educative. It is easy to read and documents the explanation with plenty of illustrations. The book is packed with content from the basics to slightly more advanced techniques. Exactly what I was looking for to help me to get started with wearable electronics.

[Robin Dong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, even funny.

[Bev DeVore-Wedding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating use of technology and textiles. Great projects.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good as a focused introduction to electronics in the application of wearables, and introduced me to a few devices/strategies I hadn't thought about.

[to'c · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, to be honest I did not expect to read this book. I picked up a library copy to flip thru. I do that. Often. Get random books on topics of interest just to see if they have anything worthwhile to offer.

And boy howdy, does this book ever have something worthwhile to offer!

Ms. Hartman is an excellent writer, presenting her materials in a way easy to access by beginners yet offering the knowledgeable enough tidbits to keep them going. (hint: I'm not a beginner to the electronics in the book but I don't sew worth a darn) (gosh, is that a pun?) It's not only what she's writing about but how she writes it. She has a pleasant and informative style and shows enough examples to underscore her points. Also the illustrations by Jen Liu are a delight! I'm gonna build me a Wooo! shirt just because of her picture.

If you have any interest whatsoever in soft electronics (`cause you don't have to actually wear them) then give this book a try. My copy goes back to the library tomorrow and I'm stopping at the bookstore on the way home. I don't give five stars lightly...

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the "Make" series. I’ve been curious about wearable electronics for a while, but I had no idea where to start. When I finally get the time to start a new project, this book will be my first reference. As a person who hasn’t studied circuits and electricity since high school, the book seemed a bit overwhelming at first because of its comprehensive coverage, but their approach is so accessible that I just wanted to absorb it all! It starts with the basics of circuitry, and explores the myriad of components out there that you can use to build, embellish, and power your projects. Plus, there are examples of amazing creations peppered throughout, and once I got over the shock of such genius and whimsy, I could feel my own inspiration flowing…

[Warren Gossett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a book showing some current techniques for wearable electronic circuits for clothes. This means primarily flashing LED lights, vibrators and some audio files on clothes fabrics. It does not encroach on the territory of wearable sound systems, phones, iWatches and cameras. Other areas are still to be developed further such as wearable electronic heating and cooling. I am not someone who takes out a soldering iron to make my own circuits, but it is helpful to know what to look for in LED lights for clothes and notice how the fabric mounted circuits are sewn, glued or riveted together.

[Jeffrey Machott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives you a basic primer on electronics and circuit building, and then presented a series of basic projects using the Lillypad microcontroller (similar to the Arduino series, but designed with clothing and costuming in mind) as an example to give the reader some ideas on things they can do with this knowledge. Covers a variety of topics in an easy to understand format.

I'd recommend it as an introduction to either wearable circuitry or to basic electronics.

[Vi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable, clear directions. Some expense in getting tools, but a neophyte could do this.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't wait to get started.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it will become obsolete in a few years, the list of materials and websites are fun to look at. Wearable electronics will probably grow bigger over the years.

[Marzhana K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helped me a lot to make my projects in wearables tech, she is professor from our university, and the instructor from my Thesis.

[Kirill Aleksandrov]

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