Challenging the aesthetics of circuitry

Leah Buechley, a pioneer in soft circuits and the creator of the LilyPad developers kit, has been experimenting with paper computing and circuits. Her circuits are quite beautiful and intriguing with possibility. The combination of aesthetics and interaction opportunities are endless with the freedom of simply painting circuits as if loosely sketching in a notepad. Imagine applying this technique onto garments where circuits are handpainted, silkscreened or even embroidered.

In fact, Becky Stern of Sternlab has taken this inspiration to heart by creating a piece titled “A Tribute to Leah Buechley“. Using Buechley’s LilyPad, she created a soft-sewn circuit that challenges circuit aesthetics by using one of the traditional garment-embellishing techniques…embroidery: