Prototype 2
Team Cosmos
(Aditi Magal and Veda Chase)
STEP 1:
Receiving Prototype 1
Two weeks after sending out Proto1, we received it back at the Hybrid Lab along with video feedback from Sara and Courtney. From the video we learned Saras movements to be much more limited than expected. Though neither her pointer or thumb ever broke the full range of movement we were hoping for, it was noted that her thumb had much more conscious movement to it than her other fingers. We spoke with Courtney about this over the phone and she agreed about her thumb, but noted that though the movement is conscious it is still very small and soft. To expand our communication possibilities, we asked if we might use her right hand as well as her left hand (unlike the previous prototype which was only fitted for the left hand) and Courtney assured us it wouldn’t hurt to try.
Along with the prototype we also received back some fabric swatches we sent along to know what kind of textile Sara might like in terms of comfort and aesthetic. Out of the six samples we sent along, she liked a a green patterned flannel and a space-patterned sports fabric the best.
From our feedback, we decided that the new prototype would meet the following criteria:
-Utilize thumbs with flex sensors as source of input
-A glove on each hand
-Enable yes-no binary communication.
-Use melody for this binary communication system, making the gloves fun and useful.
-Glove would be made of the space-patterned sports fabric because it was light, but strong and stretchy.
STEP 2:
Programming and Design
To program the glove, we knew we’d need some sort of sound-bit storage. This clashed with our intention of making the glove hardware light, so we switched from using sound-bites for communication, to using the built-in tone library of standard Arduinos. However, this meant we couldnt use the Lilypad like originally intended, and the Lilypad MP3 was simply too large for Saras hand. We decided on the Arduino Mini, the smallest micro-controller we found compatible with our purpose.
It was then a matter of refining the code through sensor-range testing. In a series of trials, we lashed the flex sensor to my own thumb, and used the videos of Saras movements to guide us in finding a good range of activation movement.
The base glove was constructed from the sports fabric and felt, held together mostly by heat activated interfacing because of its good compatibility with stretchy fabric. The pattern allows the glove to put on with an easy wrap velcro, and leaves the palm and fingers completely free for comfort, with the space for hardware attachment mostly located on the forearm
. 
STEP 3:
Assembly
Transferring the circuitry from a wire build, to a soft build on the glove proved to be difficult. We built the larger paths conductive paths out of conductive fabric and then linked these paths to hardware using conductive thread. Exactly what kind of technique was to be used with the thread is what we learned. Four times our paths created a short circuit that had to be torn out at rebuilt. Eventually we understood how to finesse the thread paths across and around each other to avoid these shorts, while creating sturdy connections between the soft-circuitry and the hardware. When this was all sturdy and the glove functioned as intended, it was time to insulate our conductive paths. This was done by gluing cloth over threads where necessary and applying nail polish to the conductive fabric.
STEP 4:
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The final gloves did exactly as they intended. The left hand produced a happy tune when the thumb was flicked, and the right hand produced a negative tune. The gloves could be attached easily by sliding the thumb in under the sensor, and wrapping the rest comfortably around the wrist. The whole system turns on with an easy switch on the side of the battery pack.
