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    Content by Mika Satomi and Hannah Perner-Wilson
    E-Textile Tailor Shop by KOBAKANT
    The following institutions have funded our research and supported our work:

    Since 2020, Hannah is guest professor of the Spiel&&Objekt Master's program at the University of Performing Arts Ernst Busch in Berlin

    From 2013-2015 Mika was a guest professor at the eLab at Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee

    From July - December 2013 Hannah was a researcher at the UdK's Design Research Lab

    From 2010-2012 Mika was a guest researcher in the Smart Textiles Design Lab at The Swedish School of Textiles

    From 2009 - 2011 Hannah was a graduate student in the MIT Media Lab's High-Low Tech research group led by Leah Buechley


    In 2009 Hannah and Mika were both research fellows at the Distance Lab


    Between 2003 - 2009 Hannah and Mika were both students at Interface Cultures
    We support the Open Source Hardware movement. All our own designs published on this website are released under the Free Cultural Works definition
    Sensors

    Fabric Potentiometer

    Following the same principal that you’ll find inside a traditional round and slider potentiometers. Both contain a wiper finger (conductive) and a resistive track. Normally both ends of the restive track end in separate measuring point tabs, as does the wiper finger. Thus you can choose to measure from either of the restive track tabs and the wiper finger, and you will be able to adjust the resistance by turning or sliding the potentiometer.


    The fabric version of this principal uses EeonTex piezo-resistive SL-PA coated fabric RL-4-139-4 from Eeonyx but you can also use resistive thread from LessEMF for the resistive track and a piece of wire, a metal bead, ball or conductive fabric, for the conductive wiper finger. In these examples only one end of the resistive track is connected to a measuring point and the other measuring point is the wiper finger.

    Time Sensing Bracelet

    The circular fabric potentiometer is used in the Time Sensing Bracelet, a funky demonstration of how it works. The first version used a conductive fingertip to make the connection between the conductive fabric circle in the center and the restive track. A second version made use of a wire extension of a metal popper that was pieced through the central conductive circle, this could turn around freely, but had to be pressured to the resistive fabric to make good contact.

    The Eeonyx fabric is not only resistive over distance, but its resistance is also pressure sensitive. This is great for making pressure sensors, but makes the fabric potentiometer less accurate. Also, the resistance of this particular Eeonyx fabric does not rise linearly over distance. In the example of the Time Sensing Bracelet, this was compensated for in the software.
    >> http://www.instructables.com/id/Time_Sensing_Bracelet/


    Making Resistors

    Syuzi Pakhchyan has published a sewable version of a sliding potentiometer that uses a magnet to keep the “wiping finger” in place. You’ll find the detailed instructions on how to make this in her book Fashioning Technology on page 66 “Making Resistors”.
    Fashioning Technology >> http://www.fashioningtechnology.com/

    Pictures on Flickr

    5 Comments so far

    1. […] love the recently posted embroidered potentiometers as they show nicely how to integrate technical parts such as conductive lines which can either be […]

    2. […] 3. Buttons, tilt sensors, stroke sensors, pom pom, potentiometer […]

    3. Session 5: Sensors | Tech Crafts on October 4th, 2012

      […] Slider by Kobakant Crochet Tilt Potentiometer by Kobakant Embroidered Potentiometers by Kobakant Fabric Potentiometers by Kobakant Knit Touchpad by Kobakant 555 Noise Maker by Bare […]

    4. Paper Potentiometer | Becca Rose on August 1st, 2013

      […] have on your livingroom light switches. I was inspired by this tutorial on the wonderful website How to Get What you Want (please visit, go now, it really is […]

    5. […] Sure you can use LDR’s, potentiometers and buttons to generate sounds, but what about strings? When I began thinking about an Arduino string instrument, I realized what I wanted to create was a soft potentiometer.  I found my inspiration from Hannah Perner-Wilson’s Fabric Potentiometer http://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?p=543. […]

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