Welcome to EduWear

Gim a student of “Human Centered Design” at the KMUTT in Bangkok tested part of the construction kit by making a smart bag.

It will alarm when it is opnened, light up in the dark when you are searching for contents inside and display light pattern on the led application on the outside of the bag.

The technology she used was: controller, conductive yarn, leds, textile switches and a super sonic sensor.

For the prototype board layout we used Arduino as basis. To make the board more “wearable” (especially smaller and lighter) instead of using one board we divided the hardware into 3 components. The main board that is also required on the actual textile and hosts the microcontroller:

The programmer board that is only used while uploading programs from the computer:

And finally the power supply board that is necessary to use different kinds of power supply (e.g.) batteries. You can use 6 to 12 V:

The parts of the 3 components (ordered at Reichelts in Germany) cost around 10 Euro alltogether.

Overall concept:
Message(s), reflection and insights about technology & society made by adults are passed on to children. Provide opportunities for children to find authentic tasks.

Basic approach:
Relationship(s) between technology and material:
Technology is interactive, hence evoke something; material is to be selected carefully to provide manifold imaginations and possibilities.
Consideration of “lack of aesthetic design” and intercultural aspects:
Textiles are common language; the exploration of fairy tales, archetypes, and story telling etc. give more ideas.

Topics to be offered:
Scenarios, eg. body (thinking body, communicating body), identity, etc.

Basic elements:
As examples of attraction and excitement: competition and expression.

Scenario “Body Lab”

Target group:
Kids 10-14

Scenario:

1. (Body)
Exploring the body, its, brain, movement, and senses,
e.g. such as its possible in specific museums, e.g. in Budapest and Bremen for scientific exploration.

2. (Technology)
Exploring the construction kit
Speaking about sensors/actuators, programming

3. (Reflection)
Experiencing how technology is reducing and enhancing human senses through games

4. (Interaction)
Imagining how human senses can be enriched through technology, develop a picture of what they want to build

5. (Construction)
Construction, design and programming, and presentation