Ruth Zhao
ART
RESEARCH
POETRY
E-Textile Workshop
At New York Textile Month. Exploring soft electronics and technology + craft.
Fall 2024
Genre
Skills
Workshop Planning, Mechanical Engineering
Research — Cornell Hybrid Body Lab
Time
Context
As a continuation of the LivingLoom (check it out here!) project, our team wanted to bring the concept of making e-textiles into practice with local artisans.
My role centered around making an open source thread extrusion machine usable at the workshop.
Mechanism
We aimed to have comprehensive machine that takes a customizable liquid solution and turns it into usable thread.
FIG 01. Machine extrusion process (how the machine makes the thread!)
FIG 02. Initial design sketches
Construction
I designed and created all part models on Fusion 360, and then tested them by making iterations on PLA and resin 3D printers.
Designed PCB, box, and UX for controls.
FIG 03. Left: Construction process, Right: Final product
FIG 04. Print Graveyard :^(
Yarn Recipe Experimentation
We had 3 primary recipes to choose from: thermochromic, charcoal, and pH sensing.
FIG 05. Thermochromic
FIG 06. Thermochrom. Demo
FIG 07. Charcoal
FIG 08. Charcoal resistance
FIG 09. pH Sensing
Usage
FIG 10. Use guide
a) Load syringe
b) Fill coagulation and water bath
c) Start extruder
d) Thread begins to form
e) Wind thread around 1st bobbin
f) Wind thread around 2nd bobbin
Workshop Planning
We hosted a community-engaged workshop to better understand the material-exploration needs of the textile craft community.
FIG 11. Workshopping Time Distribution
FIG 12. The workshop!
Swatch Results
These were the swatches participants produced with the material usage labeled.
Wet-Spun Activated Charcoal
Cotton
Wet-Spun Thermochromic
Conductive
Coated Biodegradable Conductive
This research presented here was also submitted for DIS 2025.
Research under guidance of:
The Cornell Hybrid Body Lab
Special Thanks to:
Jingwen Zhu, Professor Cindy Kao
Publication & Acknowledgements