Electronics and Fabrics: The Development of Garment-Based Wearables

As the lines between computing and textiles blur, so do the lines between computing and human bodies. Wearable technology is evolving to a point where it pervades many aspects of human lives. One has become accustomed to being surrounded with technological conveniences. Soon, the garments will become mobile devices that will seamlessly connect one to his/her networks. They will give and receive vital information through interfaces that become so integrated into the actions and activities that they become less invasive and more pervasive. This Essay presents a vision for the future of sensor-enabled garment-based wearable technology and identifies barriers faced by designers in the creation of wearable technology. Case studies illustrate problems encountered in both a micro- and macroscale from three different perspectives uncovered during the discovery and application of various methods of embedding circuits into textiles projects. The identification of five key areas that need changes in order to bridge the gap between textiles and electronics are discussed alongside the benefits of bringing technology out of the box which will revolutionize how one approaches many aspects of his/her current lives.