Constructing a garment that contains a sizable amount of hardware, is able to transmit detectable vibration patterns, is comfortable, safe, and easy to wear is not a simple task. An extraordinary amount of preparation was and is still needed to make this happen. After much discussion, the team decided that a vest would best suit the purpose of our team’s goals. We wanted a something that would fit close to the 
body, especially along the back of the spine, so that the vibrating pads would gently press against the skin of the wearer. We also needed something sturdy enough to hold the lily pads, batteries, wires, etc. We are able to incorporate a lining within the vest which allows us to hide most of the wiring and lily pads. Since the lily pads and wires are washable, they are able to remain in the vest lining at all times. However, the microphone, preamp, batteries, and vibrating pads are non-washable, and need to be mounted in such a way as to enable easy removal.
We still have a lot of experimentation ahead of us in terms of placement issues. Wiring, relative proximity of each item, and comfort on the body are all areas of concern. There was some early discussion about how to make the garment one size fits all. However, this issue has become less and less a priority as the hardware placement became more complex. We are still considering making the size of the garment somewhat adjustable with added straps on the back of the vest. These will let the wearer tighten the back of the vest so that the strip of vibrating pads will always touch the back of the spine. In terms of fabric, we were thinking along the lines of lightweight cotton twill for the front and sturdy cotton knit for the back of the vest, so that it can stretch smoothly across the back. Again, these are still preliminary ideas, and there is a lot of testing ahead of us, so we expect things to change.
We feel confident that we will be able to pull off a vest that is able to translate sound into comprehensive and discernable vibrations, while making whoever is wearing the vest look stylishly modern, of course. I myself have never incorporated this much technology into anything I’ve made in the past, so I am all the more excited to work with a team to face the challenge. If all goes according to schedule, this will be one of the coolest design projects I have ever participated in.
-Stewwie
