Base and Stitch: Evaluating eTextile Interfaces from a Material-Centric View
Authors: 
Vineetha Rallabandi, Alice C Haynes, 
Courtney N. Reed, and 
Paul StrohmeierAuthors Info & Claims
Vineetha Rallabandi, Alice C Haynes, Courtney N. Reed, and Paul StrohmeierAuthors Info & ClaimsFebruary 2024
Article No.: 15, Pages 1 - 13
Abstract
Fabrics are seen as the foundation for e-textile interfaces but contribute their own tactile properties to interaction. We examine the role of fabrics in gestural interaction from a novel, textile-focused view. We replicated an eTextile sensor and interface for rolling and pinching gestures on four different fabric swatches and invited 6 participants, including both designers and lay-users, to interact with them. Using a semi-structured interview, we examined their interaction with the materials and how they perceived movement and feedback from the textile sensor and a visual GUI. We analyzed participants’ responses using a joint, reflexive thematic analysis and propose two key considerations for research in e-textile design: 1) Both sensor and fabric contribute their own, inseparable materiality and 2) Wearable sensing must be evaluated with respect to culturally situated bodies and orientation. Expanding on material-oriented design research, we proffer that the evaluation of eTextiles must also be material-led and cannot be decontextualized and must be grounded within a soma-aware and situated context.
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Index Terms
- Base and Stitch: Evaluating eTextile Interfaces from a Material-Centric View
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February 2024
1058 pages
ISBN:9798400704024
DOI:10.1145/3623509
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Published: 11 February 2024
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