E-Textiles Movement

"E-textiles or soft circuits are exciting for a lot a reasons that deserve their own exploration, but suffice it to say that what gets me gesticulating excitedly is the idea of mashing up different audiences. Putting electronics in crafts/clothing/sewing, gives technology a new accessibility, and gives it access to new creative thinkers. By clearing a path for crafters and sewers to start thinking about conductivity and sensors, soft circuits make space for electronic in the minds of people with different expertise. As a result, conductivity and computing are undergoing an invigorating re-think. Crafters don’t think about circuits the same way electrical engineers do, and they are more free to ask compelling questions.

Anyway, that’s a whole ‘nother thing but one undeniable outcome of the e-textile movement is that it has massively increased womens’ use of microcontrollers. Makers of high-visibility with Arduino are 86% male/2% female, while Lilypad user are 25% male/65% female. The other users are unknown." (http://www.stephalarcon.org/2011/04/gender-technology-and-the-desk-job/)