Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Margaret Orth

Joseph A Paradiso

Joshua R Smith

Tod Machover

Christopher Verplaetse

E Rehmi Post

Teresa Marrin

Emily Cooper

Matthew Gorbet

Fabrics are used as integral elements of electrical circuitry&mdash;to facilitate control over the operation of external components connected thereto, to serve as substrates onto which electrical components are connected, or as the electrical components themselves. In one aspect, selective, anisotropic electrical conductivity is achieved using conductive fibers running along one weave direction and non-conductive fibers running along the opposite direction. The conductive fibers, which may be continuous or arranged in lanes, serve as electrical conduits capable of carrying data signals and/or power, and may be connected, for example, to electrical components soldered directly onto the fabric. In a second aspect, passive electrical components are integrated directly textiles using threads having selected electrical properties.

Electrically active textiles and articles made therefrom

Tiling processor elements facilitate manipulation of digital information and processing through user-defined relationship between the elements. Each element represents an independent computational entity with predefined properties and functionality, but the behavior of an arrangement of these elements depends on the arrangement itself-not just the characteristics of the individual devices. In this way, unique computational entities may be constructed based on, but not limited to, the capabilities of the individual devices. Rearrangement of the elements defines and alters the functionality of the resulting element network.

Digital communication, programmable functioning and data transfer using

Apparatus for continuous sensing of hand and arm gestures comprises hand-held means for continuously sensing at least tempo and emphasis. These sensed parameters are represented quantitatively, and transduced by appropriate circuitry into electrical signals indicative of the parameter quantities. The signals may be used to control the performance of a musical composition (or the evolution of some other dynamic system), or may instead convey information. The signals may, for example, be provided to an interpreter that dynamically infers control commands from the gestures on a real-time basis in accordance with the generally accepted canon of musical conducting, directing the controlled system in accordance therewith. The invention may also sense one or more additional conducting parameters such as the speed and/or velocity, direction (i.e., trajectory) in three dimensions, absolute three-dimensional position, the 'size' of a gesture in terms of the spatial distance between successive beats, and the 'placement' of a beat pattern in space.

Apparatus for controlling continuous behavior through hand and arm

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Margaret Orth