Wearable Studio Practice Story
Published: April 2020
The Wearable Studio packages the work environment of a typical electronic textiles studio into a series of portable items that can be worn or carried on the body. By providing the functionality normally contained in static furniture and the architectural infrastructure of the studio/lab, A Wearable Studio Practice allows the e-textile engineer to become nomadic in her practice.
Now is a perfect time for electrical engineers to become mobile with their practice. It’s not just electronic parts that have become smaller and smaller, but also many of the tools used in electrical engineering (power supply, multimeter, oscilloscope, programmers… ) have become more compact and portable. Many practices closely related to hardware such as software/programming and CAD/design have been liberated from static infrastructures because laptop computers – their primary tools – are powerful and lightweight. Co-working spaces and FabLabs offer temporary workspaces all over the world. There is an awareness of the benefits of local production and site-specific development.
Wearable Studio Collection
A collection of wearable and portable accessories that allow the electronic textile engineer to travel, build hardware on-site, incorporate local craft techniques and resources, experience different cultures, encounter and collaborate with other disciplines and share their skills with others.
The items in this Wearable Studio Collection are in various stages of development, but shall eventually be documented in great detail, so that they can be reproduced by others. I hope to encourage copies, modifications and improvements to these designs.
Traveling with Tools
How it all started….
KOBKANT Studio
Materials&Tools Flickr set >> https://www.flickr.com/photos/plusea/albums/72157605562647889
Workshops
Since 2006, we have taught over 70 workshops in over 20 countries.
Workshops Flickr collection >> https://www.flickr.com/photos/plusea/collections/72157612892947451/
Hacking the Wild expedition into the jungle of Madagascar
>> http://www.plusea.at/?p=5373
>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/plusea/sets/72157650592167875
>> http://andy.dorkfort.com/andy/digitalnatural/
JungleLab:
Materials and Tools:
Other people’s tools
Rob Godshaw’s Flight-case Toolbox and Workstation
>> http://www.instructables.com/id/Flight-case-Toolbox-and-Workstation/
H. O. Studley tool cabinet
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Eg-fR-4oI&feature=youtu.be&t=1399
Ultimate portable mobile toolbox by JanD28
>> http://www.instructables.com/id/Ultimate-portable-mobile-toolbox/
Portable workbench for a bicycle. by IamWe
>> http://www.instructables.com/id/How-I-carry-a-workshop-on-the-rear-rack-of-my-bicy/
Inside Adam Savage’s Toolbox
>> https://www.wired.com/2012/08/inside-adam-savages-toolbox/
ISS Toolbox- One of the toolboxes onboard the space station
>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/timpeake/sets/72157634315750824/
Tom Sachs toolkit making
>> http://tomsachs.org/exhibition/logjam
Transforming existing objects…
Valentina Jager
>> http://www.valentinajager.com/work/on-furniture-2/
Laura Sansone’s Mobile Textile Lab
>> http://www.house-wear.com/textile-lab/
>> https://parsonsadmissions.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/meet-our-faculty-laura-sansone/
Andrea Zittel’s mobile living pods and uniforms
>> http://www.zittel.org/
Simple Patterns
Rolo
>> http://www.rolotravel.com/
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB_3rAT9zdU
Airship mechanic tool vest by awl
http://www.instructables.com/id/Airship-mechanic-tool-vest/
Ditch Your Tool Belt and Make a Tool Vest That Holds Exactly What You Need
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/how-to/a20507/ditch-your-tool-belt-and-make-a-tool-vest-that-holds-exactly-what-you-need/
Tool vests
>> www.magnetictoolvest.com
First Sketches
Making as a means of exploring…
As much as the act of making as a form of creative expression, it is also a means of experiencing (and exploring) the world.
A Wearable Studio Practice
>> http://www.plusea.at/?category_name=a-wearable-studio-practice
>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/plusea/collections/72157671954961281/
Tools We Want
>> http://www.plusea.at/?category_name=make-tools-not-parts
>> http://toolswewant.at/
Multimeter knitting…
ohmHook…
>> http://www.plusea.at/?p=5745
Wearable tools…
Body modifications…
