MakerWear

2012–2017 11

Project Description

MakerWear is a new wearable construction kit for children that uses a tangible, modular approach to wearable creation.

MakerWear is comprised of two parts: (i) single-function electronic modules that, when combined, create complex interactive behaviors, and (ii) a flexible, magnetic socket mesh that is either pre-integrated into clothing or attached post-hoc like a fabric patch.

By manipulating these tangible modules, children can create a wide range of designs: a 'sound-reactive shirt' that changes color with music, a 'fitness tracker' that automatically counts and display steps, or a new game of 'laser tag' where children interact together through their designs.
MakerWear's module library is currently consisted of 32 single-function, 'plug-and-play' magnetic modules: (i) Sensor modules that sense body movement, physiological information, and environmental properties, (ii) Modules that allow social communication, (iii) Action modules that move, make lights and sounds, (iv) Modifiers that transform signals into another type of signal, and (v) Miscellaneous modules such as wires that allow extending across meshes and to spread out designs.

MakerWear's GitHub Repository

Publications

MakerWear: A Tangible Construction Kit for Young Children to Create Interactive Wearables

Majeed Kazemitabaar

UMD CS MS Thesis

keywords: stem, educational technology, educating makers, maker movement

PDF | doi | Citation | MakerWear

MakerWear: A Tangible Approach to Interactive Wearable Creation for Children

Majeed Kazemitabaar, Jason McPeak, Alex Jiao, Liang He, Thomas Outing, Jon E. Froehlich

Proceedings of CHI 2017 | Best Paper Award

keywords: wearables, children, making, tangible interaction

PDF | doi | Citation | MakerWear

ReWear: Early Explorations of a Modular Wearable Construction Kit for Young Children

Majeed Kazemitabaar, Liang He, Katie Wang, Chloe Aloimonos, Tony Cheng, Jon E. Froehlich

Extended Abstracts of CHI 2016 | Best Paper Award

keywords: wearables, e-textiles, construction kits, electronic textiles, children, making

PDF | doi | Citation | ReWear • MakerWear

MakerShoe: Towards an E-Textile Construction Kit to Support Creativity, Playful Making, and Self-Expression

Majeed Kazemitabaar, Leyla Norooz, Mona Leigh Guha, Jon E. Froehlich

Extended Abstracts of IDC 2015

keywords: wearables, e-textiles, construction kits, electronic textiles, children, making

PDF | doi | Citation | MakerWear

Talks

A Rapid Tour of My Explorations in E-Textiles

Oct. 9, 2018 | HCDE539: Physical Computing and Prototyping Guest Lecture

University of Washington, Seattle

PDF | PPTX | I Like This Shirt | MakerWear | BodyVis | Social Fabric Fitness

A Rapid Tour of My Explorations in E-Textiles

Nov. 7, 2017 | HCDE539: Physical Computing and Prototyping Guest Lecture

University of Washington, Seattle

PDF | PPTX | MakerWear | BodyVis | Social Fabric Fitness

Making with a Social Purpose

Oct. 13, 2017 | DUB Retreat

University of Washington, Seattle

PDF | PPTX | Project Sidewalk | MakerWear | BodyVis | Ondulé

Making with a Social Purpose

June 7, 2017 | UMD CS Staff Talk

University of Maryland, College Park

PDF | PPTX | Project Sidewalk | MakerWear | BodyVis | HandSight

Making with a Social Purpose

April 13, 2017 | HCDE Invited Talk

University of Washington, Seattle

PDF | PPTX | Project Sidewalk | MakerWear | BodyVis | HandSight

Making With a Social Purpose

April 11, 2017 | UW CSE Colloquium

University of Washington, Seattle

PDF | PPTX | Project Sidewalk | MakerWear | BodyVis | HandSight

Making with a Social Purpose

April 6, 2017 | Lecture Series at the Laboratory for Telecommunication Sciences

LTS Auditorium, College Park, MD

PDF | Project Sidewalk | Pervasive Thermography | MakerWear | BodyVis | HandSight

Transforming STEM Learning Through Wearables

April 4, 2017 | STEAM Salon Lecture Series

University of Maryland, College Park

PDF | PPTX | MakerWear | BodyVis

MakerWear: A Tangible Approach to Interactive Wearable Creation for Children

March 7, 2017 | Design Field Notes

University of California, Berkeley

PDF | MakerWear

Tech+Design: Interaction Design for a Purpose

Nov. 3, 2016 | Technica: Tech+X Talk Series

University of Maryland, College Park

PDF | Project Sidewalk | MakerWear

MakerWear: Early Explorations of Wearable Construction Kits for Children

Sept. 25, 2016 | Maker Faire Silver Spring 2016

Silver Spring, Maryland

PDF | MakerWear

MakerShoe: Towards an E-Textile Construction Kit to Support Creativity, Playful Making, and Self-Expression

May 28, 2015 | HCIL Symposium 2015

College Park, Maryland

PDF | MakerWear

We design, build, and evaluate new interactive tools and techniques to address pressing societal challenges. Makeability refers both to how our technological innovations make new abilities possible for humans as well as our educational mission to help students gain new abilities as they learn and grow through research, invention, and human-centered design.