If you can only attend one wearable technology conference this year, then Smart Fabrics 2105 should be at the top of your list. What differentiates this conference from all the others is its diversity of speakers. From researchers working in corporations and academic institutions to design consultancies imagining the user experience of future wearables, the Smart Fabrics conference offers you the opportunity to meet divergent thinkers all invested in the future of wearable technology.
The Smart Fabrics conference takes place May 11 -13 at the Hyatt Regenchy in San Fancisco. And as a member of the Fashioning Tech community, you’re in luck! Use the code FT15 for a $200 discount.
Hope to see you there!
Some highlights from the agenda are presented below. You can access full agenda here.
Workshop: Hacking the Tiny Screen
May 11, 2014: 8:00- 11:30
In this 3-hour workshop with Margarita Benitez and Markus Vogl participants will work with the TinyScreen to create their own wearable device. The amazingly tiny screened pendant features the possibility of playing video or image slideshows or working with other TinyCircuit modules to create other tiny applications. During the workshop we will walk through the specs of the hardware, video or image conversion and uploading your image or video sequence to the TinyScreen hardware. We will have cases available but will also cover the basics on designing a case for the TinyScreen and will have a 3D printer on hand if you want to print your own design. At the end we will cover other add-on modules that are available via TinyCircuits and speak to other possible applications that the TinyScreen can be used for.
Expanding World Views for Wearable Design
Denise Gershbein | Executive Creative Director of Frog Design
s technology evolves, we can see design moving closer and closer to the body – from wearables and smart fabrics as we know them today, to the embedded technologies of the future. These advancements are impacting human interactions within the context of society at large, and even driving us to reconsider who we are as individuals. Understanding social, educational, philosophical and other related frameworks becomes increasingly relevant, because the way people chose to adorn or modify themselves physically can heavily impact their personal identity and their place in society. As design gets closer to the body, designers must expand their world view as they change the meaning of what it means to be human.
The Hardware Challenge: Going From Prototype to High Volume Manufacturing
Scott Miller | CEO and Co-Founder of Dragon Innovation
Fueled by 3D Printing, Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and crowdfunding, getting from idea to prototype has never been easier. However, the journey from prototype through manufacturing to finished product in customers’ hands remains a challenge. Many well-funded and technologically savvy teams fail to survive the manufacturing journey. In his presentation Scott N. Miller will discuss some of the common failure points and how to successfully avoid them. His mission is to help hardware companies successfully bridge the gap between prototype and high volume manufacturing.
