Glow Glove
2021 ITAA Design Conference
The International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is an organization that promotes the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge for their members and the industry. Their mission is to advance education, scholarship, and innovation. ITAA supports multiple publications on topics relating to textiles and apparel, including proceedings that accompany their annual conference for professional, graduate, and undergraduate designers. This project is a design done for the 2021 Undergraduate Creative Design Scholarship and Conference.
The Glow Glove began as a project for a studio course on functional apparel. I was challenged to design a novel wearable product that demonstrates a meaningful use of light with an electronic textile (e-textile) sensor. The Glow Glove is aimed to assist with in-home rehabilitation and recovery in stroke patients. The wearable technology supports strength building and refinement of fine motor skills in the fingers and hand. The Glow Glove broadens the potential for the use of smart clothing and accessories in rehabilitation.
Inspiration
According to the Center of Disease Control, more than 795,000 people have a stroke in the US every year and must face a strenuous recovery period. Stroke can result in long term motor impairments that affect activities in daily life. My inspiration for the Glow Glove came from the needs of these recovering patients. The glove is aimed for patients with moderate control over their hand and focused on strength training in the hand. In-home rehabilitation faces challenges for both the patient and therapist, including anxiety due to absence of feedback from professionals, lack of motivation for performance, and need for a signal of physical improvement. These limitations can make it difficult to track progress and prolong the recovery period for patients. The use of light provides visual feedback to motivate patients toward improvement.
How It Works
The glove targets two main exercises that train strength and can be done without additional equipment: Full Grip and Finger Opposition. The Glow Glove works using e-textile pressure sensors located on the thumb and palm. The sensors located on the palm and thumb are constructed in layers by joining woven conductive fabric from Silver plated fiber, Velostat, mesh, and foam. Velostat (aka Linqstat) is a piezoresistive material, meaning that when pressure is applied, the fabric decreases in electrical resistance, creating the perfect pressure sensor. When force is applied while performing an exercise, the LED lights will light up and respond to the degree of force, glowing brighter as more pressure is exerted.
Research & Process
The initial stage of development included extensive research on the target user group, materials, and construction techniques. Different sensors were developed and tested including e-textile push buttons and bend sensors. sensors. Ultimately, the pressure sensor was chosen because the way it translated into a gradual increase in light aligned best with the type of feedback most beneficial to patients. The simplistic design of the glove revolves around intuitiveness and cohesion between function, materials, and aesthetics. The straightforward relationship between input through pressure sensors and feedback through LED lights allow for an intuitive and effective accessory for strength training.
Duration: 3 weeks