Graduate Thesis Project on Wearable Technology Based on The Behavior of a Nearly Extinct Anim

Nov. 13, 2009 - PRLog -- Three graduate students at the Cal State University East Bay Multi-Media Graduate program in Hayward, are embarking upon a smart clothing graduate thesis project that seeks to answer the question: How can a digital pet game for playful people be implemented on a garment that incorporates human interaction and gesture as a method of game play? Team members Graziela Camacho, Sarah Din and Po-Chen Lin each come from varying backgrounds and disciplines, yet are united in order to form the first CSUEB Graduate Thesis project of it’s kind on wearable and interactive social gaming.

The project is an experiment using wearable e-textile technology to develop a game for playful individuals interested in an uncommon form of artificial pet interaction for companionship and enjoyment. The prototype consists of a long sleeved garment embedded with sensors, fabric controllers and an LED display on the front which is all controlled using a cell phone and wireless technology. Interaction with other Kimono Dragon garment wearers is also made possible, thus, making this project a sophisticated application of wearable technology to create a fun and emotionally engaging experience for the player (the wearer). The project aims to create 3 smart garments by June of 2010 that are embedded with digital LED Komodo Dragon pets and is reactive to its wearer’s gestures as well other players.

The team is currently exploring the possibility of developing this project using existing technologies (such as LED displays) with student licensing permission for educational purposes or building their own LED pet display. Due to the high cost of electronic components, one garment alone can cost anywhere between $324 to $612 dollars. Multiply that by three and the total budget goes well over the $900.00 already obtained for the project. In addition, financial cutbacks at the University are impeding the availability of Faculty advisors due to furloughs. To become a sponsor of the project by donating or lending electronical components or materials, please contact Graziela Camacho at kimonodragonscsu@gmail.com. For more information, an online presence of the project as well as a schedule and progress can be found at www.kimonodragons.org.

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The Kimono Dragons is CSUEB graduate research project. It is an experiment using wearable e-textile technology to develop a game for playful people interested in an uncommon form of artificial pet interaction.