Abstract
Advances in material science and sensor design have allowed for the emergence and rising popularity of electronic or smart textiles, commonly referred to as e-textiles. These are wearable garments that incorporate electronic circuitry, often in the form of sensors for pressure, movement, electrical impulses, capacitance, and more. However, many of these e-textiles still require connections to rigid, and usually re-usable, electronic components to function as desired. This flexible to rigid joining poses a difficult hurdle for the designing of consumer-ready e-textile products. Many research and prototype examples of e-textiles utilize fixed hardware connections; however, most end-user products require a disjoint style connection. There currently exist no standards for making these disjoint e-textile connections, but snap buttons and rigid mating connectors are the most commonly used solutions. In this research multiple e-textile connectors were designed, prototyped, and then tested against each other and existing connector solutions. The main developed connector designs featured a clip-like closure that attached to the fabric and facilitated the necessary electrical connections. The connectors were tested for their ability to stay attached to a garment, the effectiveness of their specific design features, and their usability in potential applications. One connector design demonstrated improved ease-of-use ratings among testers and 30-70% improvement in speed of use. The testing also revealed how certain e-textile garments and use-case specifics greatly impacted the functionality of each design and can help make more effective design decisions. When the connector design properly matches an e-textile material and application, the connector simplifies the e-textile manufacturing process, reduces costs, and increases functionality. The purpose of the research presented here is to demonstrate one example of an improved e-textile connector for certain use cases and to provide some design guidelines for future e-textile connectors.