AutoLight Tutorial

One day in the future humans might be able to see in the dark without having to turn on a flashlight or wear night-vision goggles. In the meantime, with the aid and versatility of SkinLink, we have AutoLight: A hands-free wearable eyebrow mount that uses an ambient light sensor to turn on automatically in low-light.

Autolight is made up of a SkinLink MCU module, an ambient light sensing module, and a white neopixel LED module as well as elastic resin printed housings for the skin link module, light sensor, and LED.

Aesthetically inspired by the Borg from Star Trek, it boasts a rather conspicuous cyberpunk aesthetic, in hopes to push humans further toward an augmented future with new abilities.

Tools and Materials

  1. Elastic 50A Formlabs resin tank

  2. SkinLink MCU module

  3. Ambient Light Sensing Module

  4. Neopixel RGB LED Module

Construction Steps

Cover and housing design

  1. Create a design with structures that accommodate the SkinLink MCU module, Ambient Light Sensing Module, and Neopixel RGB LED Module

  2. Open the .stl in PreForm and print it on a Formlabs From 3 printer in clear resin

  3. Soak in isopropanol alcohol bath after print

  4. Color the prints with acrylic paint to match the desired skin tone

Circuit Preparation

  1. Layout SkinLink modules on face, adjust the placement accordingly to avoid bending the flexible connectors 

  2. Program SkinLink in Arduino

Attachment

  1. Attach the MCU module with DUO eyelash glue

  2. Attach the cover for the MCU with DUO eyelash glue

  3. Attach the housing of sensor and LED modules with DUO eyelash glue

  4. Insert sensor and LED module into their corresponding housings

Power

  1. Insert the battery onto the battery connector on MCU module, tuck the battery behind the ear

 
 

ThermalDermal Tutorial

Pain relief envisioned as something you could wear while going out at night. Current heating patches are squares or ovals. ThermalDermal proposes any one-line shape as the substrate for heat. In the example below, it is pictured as a “hot tramp stamp”. A wearable patch that is both physically and conceptually hot.

Tools and Materials

  1. Gennel conductive cloth fabric adhesive tape

  2. Ecoflex silicone 00-30

  3. Thermochromic pigment

  4. Silicone Cover Stranded-Core Wire - 50ft 30AWG White

  5. Vinyl cutter

  6. Xacto blade or box cutter

Construction Steps

Design

  1. Create a 4mm thickness of one-liner 2D design, avoid any intersections

Vinyl cutting the design from tape

  1. Import the design into Silhouette, vinyl cut it on conductive fabric tape

  2. Remove the negative area of the tape

Solder wires

  1. Measure the resistance of the trace, ideal resistance is around 10 ohms.

  2. Solder wires onto each end of the trace

Silicone cast

  1. Mix 5 grams of part A and 5 grams of part B of Ecoflex

  2. Add 0.5 grams of thermochromic pigments

  3. Place the vinyl cut tape on a flat surface, pour the silicone mixture onto the vinyl cut tape to achieve an even layer

  4. After the silicone fully cures, flip it and cut out the shape with a Xacto knife

Attachment

  1. Microporous tape layered across to create desired thickness

  2. Layered uline tape over to desired thickness

  3. Place tattoo on top right side facing out and cut tape layers to fit tattoo 

  4. Stick to skin or plastic backing to store

 
 
 

HearingAngel Tutorial

Imagining current wearables less as something to hide and more as something to flaunt and show off. Hearing aids typically tuck discreetly behind the ear for minimal visibility. This project rests in front of the ear, proudly showing off its audacious sculptural and material form.

It mimics a common tattoo motif of an angel whispering in an ear, but doubles as a functional object, amplifying sound. The angel is literally whispering!

Tools and Materials

  • Formlabs clear resin

  • Hearing Aid

Construction Steps

Disassembly

  1. disassemble the hearing aid using a screwdriver

  2. Apply hot glue around the wire connection to PCB

Design

  1. Download an ear 3D model 

  2. Pose a human mesh around it

  3. Use a boolean to remove the shape of the ear from the model 

  4. Use another boolean to accommodate the PCB of the hearing aid

  5. Export .stl file

  6. Open the .stl in PreForm and print it on a Formlabs From 3 printer in clear resin

  7. Soak in isopropyl alcohol bath after print

Assembly

  1. Insert the hearing aid PCB into the 3D print

  2. Apply dots of hot glue onto non-essential areas

CoolingUnit Tutorial

Picturing the surface of the human body as no different from that of a car or personal computer. In the future there might be an increasing need to cool embedded implants. Using 3D printed elastic resin, real PC fans are “installed” onto the surface of skin.

Tools and Materials

  • Elastic 50A Formlabs elastic resin tank

  • Fan

  • Battery

  • Switch connector

  • Wires

    • Silicone Cover Stranded-Core Wire - 50ft 30AWG White

    • Silicone Cover Stranded-Core Wire - 50ft 30AWG Black

Construction Steps

Resin printing

  1. Open the .stl in PreForm and print it on a Formlabs Form 3 printer in elastic 50A resin

  2. Soak in isopropyl alcohol bath after print

Circuit connection

  1. Desolder wires on the fan, solder silicone-coated stranded wire to the fan, note the polarity: white for + and black for -

  2. Fitting soldered fans into the 3D print

  3. Feed the wires through the channels in the 3D print

  4. Solder the wires to the battery connector, white wires -> SW, black wires -> GND

Apply:

  1. Clean with alcohol swab as needed

  2. Use DUO eyelash glue to apply the CoolingUnit on skin

UVScale Tutorial

UV Scale is a set of flexible resin printed scales that will visually change color under UV light. The scales are to be applied on the skin using a safe skin adhesive in a pattern which emulates a snake's skin as it basks in the sunlight. The pattern of snake skin is an irregular sort of tessellation that easily and naturally warps with the unusual geometry of the human body. 

Tools and Materials

  • Elastic 50A Formlabs resin tank

  • Photochromic pigment

  • UV Resin soft type

  • DUO eyelash glue

Construction Steps

Prepare the resin print

  1. Convert .svg file of scale 2D design to mesh in Blender

  2. Extrude the plane to desired thickness

  3. Export as .stl file

  4. Open the .stl in PreForm and print it on Formlabs From 3 printer in elastic 50A resin

Apply photochromic pigments

  1. Mix 1 gram of purple photochromic pigment into 5 grams of UV resin soft type

  2. Apply the mixture on the edges of each scale piece with a paintbrush

  3. Curing under a UV lamp for 2 minutes

Skin application

  1. Apply DUO eyelash glue onto the bottom of each piece, wait for it to turn tacky and apply them onto skin.

Social Prosthesis Tutorial

Social Prosthesis is a moving appendage designed as two headpieces made from rigid and soft structures. The soft skin of the prosthesis curls and contracts when triggered by touch on the face. 

Social Prosthesis is made up of 3D resin print, silicone skin, and an embedded shape memory alloy circuit attached to a Duoskin capacitive touch.

Referencing the definition of prosthetic sociality, written by Mimi Thi Nguyen in the 2003 essay Queer Cyborgs and New Mutants, Social Prosthesis is an exploration of how technologies enhancing the human body create meanings that extend past the merging of biological and artificial—that must contest with the social and political contexts of its time. 

Tools and Materials

  1. EcoFlex NearClear 00-45

  2. Shape Memory Alloy Spring, 0.5cm(5mm) coil diameter , 0.15 wire diameter, Pitch: wire size x2, transition temp 45C

  3. Mold for silicone casting

  4. Isopropyl Alcohol 99% - 99.8%

  5. Resin printer

  6. Korea Crystal Tec Transparent Stretchy Beading Line String 0.5 (or any thin, stretchy elastic to hold the nosepiece in place)

  7. Sandpaper (3M Wetordry 213Q P800-grit)

  8. Silicone Pigment (optional—for coloring silicone)

  9. Alcohol Ink (optional—for coloring resin)

  10. Art Resin (optional—for glossing resin)

  11. 3rd Degree Silicone

  12. 32 AWG Copper Wires

  13. Adafruit Gemma M0

  14. 2N6292 NPN Transistor

  15. 15k Resistor

  16. SOT23 Breakout Board (as perf board)

  17. LiPo Battery

  18. Multimeter

  19. Optional: Isopropyl Mysristate

Construction Steps

Preparing the Resin Print

Resin Print

1. SLA print the two files of the Social Prosthesis design.

2. Carefully remove the 3D print from the build plate and soak in isopropyl alcohol (99-99.8%)

3. Cut the supports from the 3D print. The design has delicate and thin details, so it is important to remove the supports to determine that you are not cutting parts of the model.

4. Once supports are removed, give a rinse in IPA for any remaining support debris.

5. Using super fine sandpaper (P800), sand all the 3D prints gently to remove any remnants of supports. If needed, you can take an X-acto knife and gently remove any little broken support pieces, but be careful not to cut the model itself.

OPTIONAL Steps(1-3)

1. If you want to color the resin at this step, you can take alcohol ink and dilute it using isopropyl alcohol to achieve the desired opacity. Then, taking a paintbrush, coat the resin structures with the alcohol ink mixture. The resin will absorb the alcohol ink.

2. If you would like to gloss the resin at this step, take Art Resin and mix equal parts resin (black cap) and hardener (white cap) in a I1:1 ratio in a separate container with a disposable popsicle stick or paintbrush. Be sure to replace the caps correctly on the bottles when complete.

3. Using a (disposable) paintbrush, lightly coat the Art Resin on the resin print surfaces that require gloss. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours.

  • NOTE: Avoid putting the Art Resin on the surfaces that you want to stick to the face, to avoid creating a slippery surface for makeup application.

Circuit Schematic

FUNCTIONALITY

CIRCUITRY & PREparing SMA

1. Construct circuit following the circuit schematic

2. Crimp the ends of the SMA before silicone casting, in preparation to be soldered to the circuit.

Testing the SMA

1. Using a multimeter, test both ends of the SMA to ensure conductivity.

2. Using a DC power supply, you can test the curling of the silicone to ensure that it is moving as desired.

3. To reset: wait until SMA has cooled, and then manually stretch the SMA back to its maximum length.

Testing Procedure

1. Power the circuit with LiPo battery

2. Turn on switch on the Gemma M0, onboard LED shows yellow 

3. Touch temporary tattoo, onboard LED turns purple 

4. SMA should start shrinking

5. Wait for 45 seconds

6. SMA shrinking stops, onboard LED turns cyan

Silicone casting with purple color

Fabrication

Casting the Silicone

1. Measure approximately 8g of Part A and approximately 8g of Part B of Ecoflex Near Clear 00-45.  

2. Mix the two equal parts thoroughly using a popsicle stick.

  • OPTIONAL: to color the silicone, drop a pinprick of silicone dye into the clear mixture and mix. If you are trying to make a clear-colored gradient, create a separate silicone mixture with a colored dye. 

4. Place into degassing chamber for 10 min to remove any air bubbles

5. Place SMA spring into mold and arrange to be cast into the silicone 

6. Pour carefully into the mold, covering the SMA. Make sure the ends of the SMA are uncovered

7. Use a mixing stick or other tool to pop any extra air bubbles

8. Let cure for 4 hours.

9. When cured, carefully remove the silicone from the mold. 

Skin Application

Skin Application

1. To apply the headpiece, you can take 3rd Degree and mix a pea-sized amount of Part A and B to create a silicone adhesive for the skin.

2. Once mixed, apply a thick layer to the back of headpiece on the areas that will contact the forehead 

3. Press the headpiece with the silicone adhesive to the forehead and hold for 1 minute to let the product cure.

4. Gently test to make sure the headpiece is adhered to the skin. It will not be a super tight hold, but effective enough to hold up the piece securely while also easy to remove after.

5. To apply the nosepiece, hold the nose bridge of the piece to the nose (as if putting on glasses). Use the elastic band to secure in place. 

6. The circuit should also be lifted to hide behind the head. 

REMOVAL

1. Gently peel the piece off, and remove the silicone adhesive from the back of the headpiece. It should come off in one piece.

2. Use isopropyl Myristate to remove any extra residue