MILI JOHN THARAKAN
NEOCRAFT
Ambikraf : non emissive textile animation
Wearable
Thermochromic ink printed dress with small perltiers for a flexible system
concept sketch
pattern programming
Thermochromic ink printed dress with small perltiers for a flexible system
Ambikraf wearable is a dress where patterns animate across its surface. The dress is printed with thermochromic inks and.the colour change enabled with peltiers.
The dress is the first of its prototype towards developing Ambikraf to a flexible, portable version. Further development of this project would involve integrating the peltiers within the textile which would be done during the production of the fabric. Using smaller peltiers as well as circuits and tackling longer lasting power supply are current challenges.
Woven Peltiers
Peltiers hand inserted while weaving
Double cloth with peltier on lower layer and top layer for printing
Peltiers hand inserted while weaving
To make Ambikraf an integrated system, the peltiers need to be embedded within the fabric. Experiments for this was done during the weaving process where the peltiers were handwoven along with the fabric on a handloom.
I wove various single cloth weave structures to explore suitable construction that hold the peltiers in place. I also experimented with double cloth structures where the peltiers were woven into the lower fabric, leaving the top fabric free for printing with thermochromic inks.
The next stage would involve dyeing the yarn with thermochromic dyes which would then be woven into fabric with peltiers. We would like to miniaturise the peltiers further to even a nano level where it can truly be embedded in the textiles.
Byobu
change of colour with temperature photo credit: Roshan Peiris
AmbiKraf Byobu is a non-emissive textile display that merges traditional techniques of printing and painting on textiles with novel interactive technology. Screen-printed patterns are subtly animated in response to the proximity of the viewer, drawing him or her to interact with the textile screen.
We are exploring a new kind of product that stays true to its traditional roots as a craft but moves into becoming the craft of the Digital era. Ambikraf frees painting on textiles from its static form, rendering it dynamic and interactive. With the animation of this piece, printed flowers bloom and wither depicting the cyclic system and temporality of nature as well as the passage of time itself.
The screen was exhibited at the Ars Electronica Festival 2010, Austria.
Ambikraf
early prototypes
photo credit: Roshan Peiris
Wall-hangings photo credit: Roshan Peiris
overall system illustration: Roshan Peiris
photo credit: Roshan Peiris
AmbiKraf is a non-emissive textile display. We wanted to create a textile display that was not constructed with embedded LEDs but a display that kept to the natural qualities of a fabric yet able to animate patterns.
Heat sensitive inks, also know as thermochromic inks, can be printed on textiles and are sensitive to temperature. It can change from a colour to a clear state when actuated. Thermal actuators are used to heat and cool the thermochromic printed fabric to animate patterns.
The first series of prototypes were made as table runners and wall hangings where we animated a series of birds. These prototypes helped us to develop the Ambikraf system and learn ways to programme and control temperatures to achieve pattern animations.