The Textile Reflexes project explores the possibilities of robotic textiles for feedback and coaching. It is a collaboration between fashion- and textile designer Hellen van Rees and researchers Angelika Mader and Geke Ludden (UT). The first half year of the project was funded by the Horizon2020 project Wear Sustain and resulted in a working prototype of a posture correction vest. The starting point for Textile Reflexes was a textile material that consists of connected squares made of recycled textile fibres (developed by Hellen van Rees). The squares allow the textile to expand and contract, making it a suitable textile to provide tactile feedback to a wearer. The developed prototype of the posture correction vest uses two accelerometers to measure body posture and two small motors connected to wires to move the squares of the textile. Further developments will be aimed at (1) exploring and defining the behaviour of a garment as a coach (2) further integration of electronics in textile material (e.g. by using other types of actuators) (3) effect studies (establishing to what extent the working principle can be effective in posture correction).
