Site visit in Rovaniemi 22 August 2003
Designing proactive clothes
The coordinator visited the Department of Textiles and Fashion Design at the University of Lapland on 22 August 2003. Professors Minna Uotila, Osmo Hänninen (UKU) and Heikki Mattila (TUT) presented their PROACT project Methods and Models for Intelligent Garment Design: Interdisciplinary Approach to Accessible and Usable Wearable Products (MeMoGa).
The aim of the project is to develop frameworks that help to initiate R & D projects of new-generation garments and environments for ubiquitous computing in the next few years. The project also aims at producing applications in the area of ubiquitous computing, intelligent garments and at creating concepts in the field of wearable intelligence.
From a horizontal perspective, the project studies the usability and acceptability of wearable intelligence. From a vertical perspective, the project will find new proactive applications in intelligent garments; study the interaction of the dressed human body and the intelligent environment; and also study the well being of the end user using intelligent garments in 3D simulations, especially in heavy industry.
The three project partners have complementing experience and knowledge in the research area of intelligent garments. The University of Lapland have studied end user and communications technology as well as virtual design technology together with the University of Tampere in earlier projects such as Intelligent Textile Materials (2000-01), WearCare (2001-02) and I-Sport (2001-03). The Technical University of Tampere has expertise in fibre material technology. The University of Kuopio has studied physiology and wearable intelligence in a project on special clothing for the health and social sector (Ergovaate).
In the first phase, the project has concentrated on finding appropriate industrial end users. Some background research has also been performed. The Technology University of Tampere has made a survey of available working and protective clothes as well as of intelligent textile materials. The University of Lapland with the help of the University of Kuopio have interviewed end users in heavy industry to find out their requirements and wishes. The University of Lapland has also been looking into existing clothing and fashion theories to find or create new appropriate models and methods for intelligent garments.
In collecting and analysing the requirements of the end users, the project intends to use interviews and audio and video recordings of the interviewees when these evaluate clothing shown in 3D simulations. Other methods or instruments that have been used earlier in the I-sport project are physiological measurements of the interviewees at a conceptual level, questionnaires and rating methods. These will also be considered in the MeMoGa project. Some of the most important categories studied are, according to Lamb & Kallal (1992), the functionality, the aesthetics and the expressiveness of the clothes.
The project will now continue with analysing the collected data with the intention of creating new clothing concepts and design criteria. The design will be evaluated through simulations and virtual prototypes in 2004-05 and the usability will be tested in 2005. The project will define the principles for facilitating the design and production of intelligent garments and related products for all user groups. The results will be used to promote the use of wearable intelligence and to extend the range of groups who use it. The results may also be generalised to many other areas in the field of industrial design.
The consortium consists of the following partners
- Department of Textiles and Fashion Design, University of Lapland (UROVA)
- Professor Minna Uotila, Researchers Riikka Matala, Jukka Mäyrä; Affiliated Researchers Mikael Latva, Mari Pursiainen
- Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio (UKU):
- Professor Osmo Hänninen, Researchers Jaana Holopainen, Niina Lintu, Saara Rautiainen
- Fibre Material Science, Tampere University of Technology (TUT):
- Professor Heikki Mattila, Researchers Mailis Mäkinen, Päivi Talvenmaa
More information
For more information, please see the project web pages at http://www.urova.fi/?deptid=17234 or at this site or contact Coordinator Minna Uotila at the University of Lapland.
Greger Lindén
Programme Coordinator
Greger.Linden@cs.helsinki.fi