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