An Experimental Research Project - Wearable Technology for Embodiment of Emotions.

Clothing is the most intimate artefact that interacts with both body and society. Over the past quarter century, with the introduction of new technologies, people are experiencing unprevented changes in their behaviours and way of living. Technology is becoming a large part of daily life and its unchecked influence has many emotional consequences, many of which are overlooked. The aim of this research is integrating textiles with new technologies to create garments that provide new social interactions and avenues for emotional expression. The experimental project has been done to explore new possible interaction scenarios through wearable technologies by turning an intangible phenomenon, emotion, to a tangible artefact. The paper refers to the research question: 'How can an intangible fact, which is known as existing but doesn't have a physical matter, emotion, be embodied and transmitted through technology?' by means of a theoretical study on wearable technologies and its role in emotional communication, following with an experimental project carried out as both virtual and real prototypes. This paper not only focuses on the prototyping process, but also addresses the user experience during the interaction by various user perception tests.