Soft Circuits & Smart Textiles Workshop + Lecture
Curious about combining wearable textiles and technology? Join our Soft Circuits & Smart Textiles Workshop + Lecture designed for all skill levels, from curious beginners to creative makers. During this hands-on experience you will learn the foundations of E-textiles, learn through making, and experiment with innovative materials. The workshop will end with a challenge to design and build your own wearable to take home. No prior experience is required.
Lead Facilitator: Dr. Theo Hughes-Riley, Nottingham Trent University
When: October 2 & 10 (workshop), October 9 (lecture)
Where: Design Innovation Hub
Who: Students (from any university), faculty, staff and community members
Registration Deadline: October 2, or when maximum capacity is reached
The Program
Dive into the world of wearable electronics with two engaging events on electronic textiles. The hands-on Soft Circuits & Smart Textiles workshop (Oct 2 & 10) teaches you how to stitch circuits, program microcontrollers, and design interactive fabric projects—no experience required. Then, join us for an inspiring talk (Creating Innovative Textiles, Oct 9) exploring cutting-edge E-Textile research, including pulse-sensing gloves, fall-detecting socks, and washable textile solar panels.
Soft Circuits & Smart Textiles: An Introductory Workshop on Wearable Electronics
Thursday, October 2 & Friday, October 10 from 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
This beginner-friendly workshop introduces participants to the world of electronic textiles (E-Textiles), combining elements of electronics, textiles, and programming. Participants will explore the history, materials, and applications of E-Textiles through demos and hands-on activities. They will learn basic techniques like conductive embroidery, integrating microcontrollers, and using knitted sensors to create interactive textile projects. The workshop culminates in a creative session where participants apply their new skills to design and build their own E-Textile piece.
Learn how to integrate electronics into fabric using embroidery, bonding, and knitted conductive materials. Experiment with sensors, LEDs, and microcontrollers to create your own interactive textile piece. No prior experience in electronics, textiles, or coding required—just curiosity and creativity!
Creating Innovative Textiles with Embedded Electronic Functionality
Thursday, October 9 at 5:00 PM
Textiles are comfortable against the skin making them an ideal platform for incorporating wearable electronics. This can be particularly useful for on-body sensing where sensors often need to have good contact with the body to provide accurate results. Electronic textiles have therefore received significant attention for creating devices for wellbeing, healthcare, and protective applications.
To create electronic textiles that look and feel like conventional textiles, researchers have explored a variety of techniques for seamlessly incorporating the electronic devices. One approach is to embed small electronic components within a yarn-like structure to create an electronic yarn, which can then be used to produce a textile. This technique results in textiles with a normal appearance that retain properties critical to user comfort, such as breathability. The resulting textiles are also very durable and can be machine washed like normal clothing.
This talk will focus on the development of a selection of electronic textile devices that have been created using electronic yarns with an emphasis on wearables, including gloves that can measure your pulse, socks that can tell if you are at risk of falling over, and textile solar panels. The talk will also detail how some of these innovations were designed, developed, and tested.
Meet the Facilitators
Dr. Theo Hughes-Riley
Dr. Hughes-Riley is an Associate Professor in Electronic Textiles at Nottingham Trent University (United Kingdom) where their research focuses on the design and development of novel electronic textile (E-textile) devices. Their research has a particular emphasis on sensor technologies and the creation of E-textiles for wellbeing, healthcare, and workwear applications. Dr. Hughes-Riley has published over 40 publications in top peer-reviewed journals including Chemical Society Reviews, Science Bulletin, Progress in Photovoltaics, and Scientific Reports. As an investigator they have secured more than £2M in external research funding from funding agencies and industry.
Krissi Riewe
Krissi Riewe Stevenson holds an M.F.A. and a B.F.A. in Fashion Design from the University of North Texas, where she began her applied research on the use of both traditional craft methods and emerging digital tools to bring innovation into the design process. In her design work, she embraces value of physical, material knowledge as a critical component to incorporating and using new technologies for creative innovation.
Dr. Robert Pettys-Baker
Dr. Robert Pettys-Baker graduated with a Ph.D. in Human Factors and Ergonomics from the University of Minnesota. He previously received a B.S. in Apparel Design and M.S. in Apparel Studies from the University of Minnesota. Robert’s research interests center on the design of wearable technologies from a soft goods perspective, with an emphasis on creating devices that consider both the functional and psychological/emotional impact devices have on users.
Linda Ohrn-McDaniel
Linda Ohrn-McDaniel is a Professor in the School of Fashion, where she focuses her teaching and creative practice in the development of knits. She conducts collaborative and interdisciplinary research within areas of advanced material development, medical prototypes, and architectural structures. Her foundational skills in material development, patternmaking and construction have informed her experience in shaping and creating knitted textiles. Linda has led the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State KnitLAB from the start and enjoys the intersection of education, research, and commercialization opportunities textiles bring.
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Our Partners
This program is generously funded by The Burton D. Morgan Foundation
