In current designs soft robotic bending actuators, the need for high force capabilities is not adequately addressed. In this article, we present a new inflatable actuator that exploits textile manufacturing techniques, using an elastic band to improve both bend and force performance. At a pressure of 102 kPa, the index finger sized actuator exerts 24.8 N of force on the environment. It is also capable of a full 360 $^{\circ }$ bending angle for pressures between 30 kPa and 102 kPa with a maximum bending stiffness of 288.4 N/m. We further demonstrate feasibility of this new actuator in a case study of an entirely fabric based soft robotic hand exoskeleton that increases robustness and user comfort. Our results suggest that textile robotics could provide an attractive solution in terms of the development of user-friendly hand exoskeletons.

Soft robotic gloves are designed to assist individuals with daily tasks that involve grasping. Such devices are however often hampered by an inability to generate enough force to enable them to perform the tasks for which they were designed. This study evaluates the grasping capabilities of a novel textile soft robotic glove, which has performance-enhancing integrated elastic band actuators. We conducted a user study with 20 participants to assess the assistive glove's effectiveness. Our novel evaluation method, using surface electromyography sensors to measure muscle activity, enabled us to determine the respective grasping force contributions of the assistive device and the user. Our findings indicate that the device provides consistent grasp assistance across a force range from 20 to 80 Newtons. Average assistance for the fingers was 15.8 Newtons, with a maximum of 33.3 Newtons, while for the thumb it averaged at 12.4 Newtons, with a maximum of 23.3 Newtons. The results were validated using Linear Mixed-Effects Models, demonstrating statistically significant findings with p values of below 0.01. A user satisfaction survey (QUEST 2.0) suggested high perceived value given its excellent rating of 4.53 out of 5. Overall, these results suggest that the device can make a significant difference, helping users when performing grasping tasks.

This article reports findings from a one-month design research project in which four textile and fashion designers engaged in collaborative exploration of technical and artistic knowledge inherent in folds and folding. They experimented with textile technologies and construction methods to design, fabricate and analyze three-dimensional dynamic materiality in electronic textiles (e-textiles). The focus was on sensor structures achieved by knitting, weaving, pleating and coating techniques. The analysis of measurements of electrical resistance between one and 36 sensing areas per sample demonstrate the added value of folds integrated into textile sensor structures. The authors discuss types of folding and their aesthetic, textural and sensorial advantages. Detailed information on design, fabrication and experimental results is provided in supplemental materials to the article.

Nonverbal signals play an important role in social interaction. Body orientation, posture, hand, and leg movements all contribute to successful communication, though research has typically focused on cues transmitted from the torso alone. Here, we explore lower body movements and address two issues. First, the empirical question of what social signals they provide. Second, the technical question of how these movements could be sensed unintrusively and in situations where traditional methods prove challenging. To approach these issues, we propose a soft, wearable sensing system for clothing. Bespoke “smart” trousers with embedded textile pressure sensors are designed and deployed in seated, multiparty conversations. Using simple machine learning techniques and evaluating individual and community models, our results show that it is possible to distinguish basic conversational states. With the trousers picking up speaking, listening, and laughing, they present an appropriate modality to ubiquitously sense human behavior.

In this paper, we introduce a new modality for capturing body postures and social behaviour. Vice versa, we propose a new application area for on-body textile sensors. We have developed “smart trousers” with embedded textile pressure sensors that allow for classification of a large variety of postural movements as well as interactional states. Random Forest models are used to investigate those. Here, we give an overview of the research conducted and discuss potential use cases of the presented design.

Research labs are peculiar phenomena consisting of a defined research programme, technical infrastructure and social context — all crucial for generating, preserving, and disseminating new knowledge. A lab functions as an ecosystem in which we think and develop ideas, but this requires a productive technical and social platform. This paper presents the Organium, a system for improvisatory design thinking in the domain of musical instruments and the experimental humanities in general. The Organium is a dynamic library of technical elements, spatially arranged for rapid prototyping and systemic experimentation, serving as a central hub of our Intelligent Instruments Lab. Furthermore, the paper discusses the lab culture and research methodology for which the Organium was designed, framing the lab as an experimental ecosystem where technological assemblages act as boundary objects for transdisciplinary collaboration and discourse. We outline how the Organium supports our research methodology and present selected projects that demonstrate its functionality and impact.