Clevertex - Grado Zero Espace Srl

International Fashion Machines produced electro-textile wall panels by using the so-called Electric
Plaid TM , a woven fabric that exploits reflective colouring. This fabric contains interwoven stainless steel
yarns, painted with thermochromic inks, which are connected to drive electronics. The flexible wall
hangers can then be programmed to change colour in response to heat from the conducting wires.
Fig. 78 Electric PlaidTM
Within the scope of the Swedish programme IT+Textiles, two fabrics, called ‘Tic’ and ‘Tac’ designed
for tea and coffee breaks, have been developed. The two fabrics, each wrapping a piece of furniture,
are connected to each other via internet. Positioning a hot cup on fabric ‘Tic’ activates patterns hidden
in the textile surface of ‘Tic’, as well as in ‘Tac’. The working principle is as follows. The two fabrics
‘Tic’ and ‘Tac’ are thermochromic woven structures. Underneath them heating elements are laid out in
a nine square Tic-Tac-Toe grid. When a hot object, like a cup of tea or coffee, is placed on the grid,
the heating element heats up and the colour of the textile changes beneath the cup. A sensor beneath
the textile senses the change in temperature and sends the information via internet to the other textile.
The corresponding heating element underneath the other fabric is heated up and the pattern gets
visible on the fabric surface. So, this technique can be used to play the game ‘Tic-Tac-Toe’ with
persons sitting not with you on one table, but sitting on another table that is wrapped with the
corresponding piece of fabric.
The prototype was realised as two pieces of furniture combining together seats and side tables. In the
following pictures, the design of the furniture covered by the ‘Tac’ fabric is presented on the left
picture. While this piece of furniture comprises a table and two seats, the piece of furniture designed
for the ‘Tic’ fabric consists of one seat and a table. It is shown in the back of the right picture.
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