CS&E Colloquium: Smart Fabrics: Textile-Integrated Technologies and Their Potential for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Applications

The computer science colloquium takes place on Mondays from 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. This week's speaker, Brad Holschuh (University of Minnesota), will be giving a talk titled "Smart Fabrics: Textile-Integrated Technologies and Their Potential for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Applications."

Abstract

In this talk, I will discuss recent advancements, opportunities, and challenges associated with wearable smart fabrics. In particular, we will focus on the use of textile-based sensing and actuation strategies for on-body applications, and discuss technology strategies, garment integration architectures, and potential use cases, featuring ongoing work in the UMN Wearable Technology Laboratory (WTL).

Biography

Dr. Brad Holschuh is an Associate Professor of User Experience (UX) Design at the University of Minnesota, where he serves as Co-Director of the Wearable Technology Laboratory (WTL) and Director of Graduate Studies for the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) graduate program and the Design Graduate Program. Since 2022, Dr. Holschuh also holds the title of UMN Distinguished University Teaching Professor and is a member of the UMN Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He earned his BS ('07), dual MS ('10), and PhD ('14) degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where as a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow (NSTRF) in the Man-Vehicle Laboratory (MVL) he researched advanced materials for next generation space suits. At UMN, Dr. Holschuh’s research focuses on the use of wearable technology to improve human performance both in space and on Earth, with a specific focus on integrating active materials technology into wearable systems. His work encompasses wearable technology, soft robotics, human factors design, textile engineering, aerospace engineering / bioastronautics, and materials science.