Intention
This project was intended to be an initial prototype of a product for my medical devices class. The final intention would be to have a soft gauge sensor that can monitor an infant's response to hydrocephalus treatment.
I began this project by laying out and constructing the circuitry. I then knit the hat, and finally, I sewed the circuit into the hat. I began thinking that I could use a pom pom on top of the hat to close the circuit, but I found that my approach to a pressure sensor was more applicable for this purpose. These processes mostly involved sewing as well as knitting and embroidering. The largest challenges arose when the circuitry had to be adapted by knotting different threads together.
This project was a really interesting look into how one would marry electronics with different textile materials. Working with felt and canvas is different as it doesn't stretch. Meanwhile, knit materials have a large amount of stretch which must be accounted for when inserting less flexible electronic components. In the future, I would certainly plan to spend more time on the marriage of the two sides, and I would be more purposeful when initially assembling the circuit.
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