Hex_Sense — Studio Oran

Hex_Sense

Wearable Interface

  
    Overview
  
What if your instrument is what you are wearing? What if you create music with your whole body? Hex_Sense explores the possibility of using sensors to turn body movements into sound performances, by combining fashion and technology.

   
     MY ROLE 

In collaboration with interactive designer Mehdi Salehi, we had an iterative and hands-on process. 
We fabricated the units with laser cutter, and assembled everything by ourselves. We created the interactivities using Arduino, and I created the sound components using MaxMSP. 
     
     CHALLENGES  

     The biggest challenge of this project was to balance the ergonomic issues and limitations of physical computing. To make wearers move naturally, we custom made light-weight movement sensors, and chose materials that are both flexible and structural. 
 Next step of the project is to make the piece wireless, and adding interactive visual components.

  
    Process
  
We knew we wanted to make an interactive performance piece, but the idea only unfolded as we visually sketched out the modular system. We used hexagon-shaped felt patches to create an structure that's comfortable to wear. 

The movement sensors are made of pairs of thin nitinol wires with high conductivity and high flexibility. When the body moves, the wires wiggle and touch, which complete the circuit and send a digital signal to the LilyPad Arduino. Arduino then activates MaxMSP to play sounds.

  
   Software
  
Eight pairs of nitinol wires were placed across the wearable interface. Each pair has a particular sound assigned to it in MaxMSP. Max controls and mixes the sounds, then outputs the music from the computer.

Overview

What if your instrument is what you are wearing? What if you create music with your whole body? Hex_Sense explores the possibility of using sensors to turn body movements into sound performances, by combining fashion and technology.

MY ROLE
In collaboration with interactive designer Mehdi Salehi, we had an iterative and hands-on process.
We fabricated the units with laser cutter, and assembled everything by ourselves. We created the interactivities using Arduino, and I created the sound components using MaxMSP.

Process

Software

Eight pairs of nitinol wires were placed across the wearable interface. Each pair has a particular sound assigned to it in MaxMSP. Max controls and mixes the sounds, then outputs the music from the computer.

Press

Hex_Sense was featured as part of a fashion trend guide in the July 2013 issue of Marie Claire Italia.

Overview

What if your instrument is what you are wearing? What if you create music with your whole body? Hex_Sense explores the possibility of using sensors to turn body movements into sound performances, by combining fashion and technology.

MY ROLE In collaboration with interactive designer Mehdi Salehi, we had an iterative and hands-on process. We fabricated the units with laser cutter, and assembled everything by ourselves. We created the interactivities using Arduino, and I created the sound components using MaxMSP.

Process

Software

Eight pairs of nitinol wires were placed across the wearable interface. Each pair has a particular sound assigned to it in MaxMSP. Max controls and mixes the sounds, then outputs the music from the computer.

Press

Hex_Sense was featured as part of a fashion trend guide in the July 2013 issue of Marie Claire Italia.

MY ROLE
In collaboration with interactive designer Mehdi Salehi, we had an iterative and hands-on process.
We fabricated the units with laser cutter, and assembled everything by ourselves. We created the interactivities using Arduino, and I created the sound components using MaxMSP.