Space Suits in Progress: Electronic Textiles

Did you know that every space suit is crafted by a team blending sewing with advanced technology? These suits, designed for lunar missions and beyond, showcase the magic of sewable electronics, merging sewing, fashion, and textile design with electrical engineering, computer science, and hardware skills. Sewable electronics let you turn traditional textiles into dynamic, wearable art. Imagine creating projects that look like media art, using flexible conductive materials instead of rigid wiring. The skills you'll learn in this session unlock endless possibilities for e-textiles, smart garments, fashion design, and interactive soft toys. Join us for an exciting hands-on session where you'll create your own Mission Patch. You'll bring your patch to life using felt, conductive thread, a battery, a battery holder, and a couple of LEDs. With Microsoft’s MakeCode, accessible through any browser, you'll add interactivity to your creation using a sewable electronic prototyping board equipped with temperature, sound, light, and movement sensors. Plus, you'll gain access to lesson plans and resources to bring these activities into your classroom, inspiring the next generation of creators!