Neo-TCH 1.3

May 2022 - 7 weeks




Role: Designer, Maker, Creative Technologist
In 2094, years after the bio-arm war, survivors were miraculously captured in MODIS satellite imagery. Following this discovery, a research team was formed to observe these inhabitants. 

The initial reports from the scientists concluded that, as a result of self-isolation, these humans lacked all communication. To determine their potential for interaction, two inhabitants were studied in a temporary facility using custom wearable intervention artefacts. However, within a fortnight, the experiment was declared inconclusive.

Collaborators: Anna Pragman and
Tanvi Mishra





 


 The Intervention
The garment - Neo-TCH 1.3 - enables the subjects to engange in non-verbal communication through sensors that are built with materials and visuals that are recognisable to the acclimatise the subjects.


Case Study

Neo-TCH 1.3 on test subjects. Attempt in interaction. 


Stroke Sensor:

Resistive conductive thread embedded in fluffy yarn to encourage the act of “stroking” 


Yarn Tap Sensor:
Conductive fabric layered in between yarn activated with a push.


IR Sensor:

Neo-TCH 1.3 has sensors across bodies to 
keep the subjects completely engaged





Study Notes
The experiment was unsuccessful and further testing is required. After weeks of observation the inhabitants were reluctant to interaction and engagement.  










Fig M. 445Futures wheel for Word Building

We used the Futures Wheel to construct our world and its ecosystem. Starting from a specific point within the ecosystem, we developed the narrative. Categorizing events by significant changes and their consequences helped guide our design decisions for the narrative and garment construction.




Fig N.W01 World Building Ecosystem



Fig N.W02 Project World Extrapolates


Process
It was crucial to begin the process with very detailed diagrams positioning the various types of materials in their individual layers. 








Gesture Based Study
How can we reinvent sensors and their interactions?
Each sensor wased based off a gesture formed through an initial study of an immersive experiment.

Back Garment Circuit Mao
Glove Circuit Map
Stroke Sensor Circuit Map
Front Garment Circuit Map
Pin-able Custom Bendable Wires

Custom Wires Concealed



Circuit Mapping Paper Prototypes


Material Study

Glue Studies: Resistance on Conductive Threads




Details on research

View the PDF below: 


The Insulation Process: A study of glues o conductive thread.

Material Research

Independently, I conducted study that looks closelsy into the insulation process of exposed conductive threads. I examined different glues and how they could effect the functionality of the garment.

Problem: Exposed conductive thread will not perform when there is excessive movement with the garment

Solution: Testing out different glues - Fabric, Craft, Wood, Spray and Super to see which would yeild better results in terms of performance.





Published  
2025 Make: Wearable Electronics: Design, prototype, and wear your own interactive garments, Make Community LLC, New York


Gallery Feature 
2025 Radiant Fibers, Clive Davis Gallery, New York


Gallery Feature  

2024 enter here_, Grace Exhibition Space, New York






Thank you to 

Liza Stark, Designer and Soft Circuit Educator
Sands Fish, Future Expereince Designer
Katherine Moriwaki, Asst Prof of Media Design in the School 
of Art, Media, and Technology
Nova Villanueva, Game Designer
Ayo Okunseinde, Designer and Anthropologist
Nai Davis, Artist, Educator and Musician
Daniel Lichtman, Creative Coder and Game Designer 
Shaina Suri,  Photography
Shashwath Santosh, Shoot Support
Amber Chen, Glove Construction
T Chen, Component Consultation
Resources:
Tharakan, Mili John. “NeoCraft : Exploring Smart Textiles in the Light of Traditional Textile Crafts“. 2011,

Posch, Irene. “E-Textile Tooling: New Tools—New Culture?” Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, vol. 6, no. 1, Dec. 2017, p. 10.

Kohler, Andreas. “Anticipatory Eco-Design Strategies for Smart Textiles“. Delft University of Technology, 30 Sept. 2013

Wendy Hui Kyong, Chun. “On Software, or the Persistence of Visual Knowledge.” Grey Room, vol. 18, Winter 2005, pp. 26–51, doi:https://doi.org/10.1162/1526381043320741.

Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzhold

The Fabric of Interface: Mobile Media, Design, and Gender by Stephen Monteir

Giles, Emilie, and Janet van der Linden. “Imagining Future Technologies: ETextile Weaving Workshops with Blind and Visually Impaired People.” Proceedings of the 2015 ACM SIGCHI Conference on Creativity and Cognition, ACM, 2015, pp. 3–12. ACM Digital Library, doi:10.1145/2757226.2757247

Nakamura, Lisa. “Indigenous Circuits: Navajo Women and the Racialization of Early Electronics Manufacture.” American Quarterly, vol. 66, no. 4, Dec. 2014, pp. 919–41, doi:https://doi.org/10.1353/aq.2014.0070.

Posch, Irene, and Ebru Kurbak. “CRAFTED LOGIC Towards Hand-Crafting a Computer.” Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM, 2016, pp. 3881–3884. ACM Digital Library, doi:10.1145/2851581.2891101.





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