also see: collective purchase, conductive thread

In most applications it is important to isolate the conductive traces. For stretchy traces this requires a stretchy isolation. So far we have experimented and had good results with: stretchy fabric glue, puffy fabric paint and extra layers of fabric.

Stretchy conductive traces are great for wearables because their stretchiness makes these traces comfortable and durable against wear and strain.

Non-stretchy traces make very stable connections on a non-stretch fabric but make less or no sense when working with stretchy fabrics.

This joypad is made up of four conductive thread pressure sensors. The analog transition between the directions (up, right, down and left) comes from the buffering material (in this case 3 cm thick squishy packing material) that absorbs and spreads the pressure from the user’s pushing, creating a gradual transition between the inputs.