Recent textile innovations have significantly transformed both the material structures of fibers and fabrics as well as their sphere of use and applications.At the same time, new recycling concepts and methods to re--use textile waste are rapidly being developed and many new ways to make use of recycled and reclaimed fibers have already been found. In this paper, we describe how the development of a new textile, making use of recycled fibers, sparked the development of Textile Reflexes, a robotic textile that can change shape. This paper elaborates on the development of the new textile material, the multidisciplinary approach we take to advance it towards a robotic textile and our first endeavours to implement it in a health & wellbeing context. Textile Reflexes was applied in a vest that supports posture correction and training that was evaluated in a user study. In this way, the paper demonstrates a material and product design study that bridges disciplines and that links to both environmental and social change.doi: 10.21606/dma.2017.610This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
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Abstract Background: With the growing shortage of nurses, labor-saving technology has become more important. In health care practice, however, the fit with innovations is not easy. The aim of this study is to analyze the development of a mobile input device for electronic medical records (MEMR), a potentially labor-saving application supported by nurses, that failed to meet the needs of nurses after development. Method: In a case study, we used an axiomatic design framework as an evaluation tool to visualize the mismatches between customer needs and the design parameters of the MEMR, and trace these mismatches back to (preliminary) decisions in the development process. We applied a mixed-method research design that consisted of analyzing of 118 external and internal files and working documents, 29 interviews and shorter inquiries, a user test, and an observation of use. By factoring and grouping the findings, we analyzed the relevant categories of mismatches. Results: The involvement of nurses during the development was extensive, but not all feedback was, or could not be, used effectively to improve the MEMR. The mismatches with the most impact were found to be: (1) suboptimal supportive technology, (2) limited functionality of the app and input device, and (3) disruption of nurses’ workflow. Most mismatches were known by the IT department when the MEMR was offered to the units as a product. Development of the MEMR came to a halt because of limited use. Conclusion: Choices for design parameters, made during the development of labor-saving technology for nurses, may conflict with the customer needs of nurses. Even though the causes of mismatches were mentioned by the IT department, the nurse managers acquired the MEMR based on the idea behind the app. The effects of the chosen design parameters should not only be compared to the customer needs, but also be assessed with nurses and nurse managers for the expected effect on the workflow.
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In this article I explore a perspective that the philosophical concepts of German phenomenologist Hermann Schmitz (*1928) may open up for thinking about the growing practice of wearing textile integrated electronics directly on the body. It is my contention that traditional conceptions of wearing (non-technological) clothing on the body fail to capture the changed situation and I hence suggest a paradigm shift is needed to think about the novel scope of affects that can be related to body-technology communication. Schmitz’s concepts of the perceptive felt body, corporeal communication and emotions as atmospheres perceived as outside, on or close to the ‘material’ body will be elaborated upon to investigate how they may enhance existing notions of bodily perception and human-technology relations. The case study used for this philosophical investigation is found in the Tactile Sleeve for Social Touch, a wearable created by Elitac, HvA and UTwente, which allows sensations of stroking, tapping and touching to be communicated from one person to another across a distance.
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