Artificial intelligence (AI) offers the potential for the development of e-textiles that give wearers a smart and intuitive experience. An emerging challenge in intelligent materials design is hand gesture recognition textiles. Most current research focuses on number gesture recognition via smart gloves, so there is a gap in research that studies contact-less number gesture recognition textiles via computer vision. Meanwhile, there is lack of exploration on the integration of illuminating function and number gesture recognition textiles to improve interactivity by real-time visualizing detection results. In this research, a novel interactive illuminating textile with a touch-less number gesture recognition function has been designed and fabricated by using an open-source AI model. It is used in sync with a polymeric optical fiber textile with illuminative features. The textile is color-changing, controlled by the system's mid-air interactive number gesture recognition capability and has a woven stripe pattern and a double-layer weave structure with open pockets to facilitate integration of the system's components. Also described here is a novel design process that permits textile design and intelligent technology to integrate seamlessly and in synchronization, so that design in effect mediates continuously between the physical textile and the intangible technology. Moreover, this design method serves as a reference for the integration of open-source intelligent hardware and software into e-textiles for enhancement of the intuitive function and value via economy of labor.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an illuminated polymeric optical fibre (POF) garment – the LUMI jacket – with accessibility and wearability improvements. This paper demonstrates how wearable technology can be seamlessly integrated into daily life.
Design/methodology/approach
An interdisciplinary approach involving design and technological techniques was adopted. Both garment design approaches and textile technologies were used to optimise the performance of a POF jacket. A group of tactile sensors was developed to create an easy-to-access interactive function. A POF fabric sample and garment were washed and examined to prove that a POF garment could be made part of a domestic laundry routine.
Findings
As a result, an illuminated POF garment – the LUMI jacket with textile-based switches – was created. Compared with current POF garments, the LUMI jacket’s wearability and accessibility were highly improved.
Originality/value
This project explored an unobstructive POF-illuminated garment to address the functional and wearable barriers to adoption. The interaction between wearer and garment is accessible. Electronics and textile touch sensors were seamlessly integrated into garment. Washability of POF garment was proved. This research explores how e-textiles can fit into everyday life.
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