Flexinol is commonly known as muscle wire. It is formed of a compound that contracts like your muscles when it heats up. Relatively easy to control with an Arduino microcontroller system, flexinol is just straight-up cool.

This class will pair well with Arduino/Wiring with Brett Hagman, which runs the week before.

You do not need a great deal of experience with arduino to take this class, just an interest in wearable technology and learning how to use these incredibly cool sensors in your work. Flexinol is a wire that bends in cool ways that can give neat effects to structured clothing. Well, structured ANYTHING. But clothing is a good start.

From Marisa:

Muscle wire is a shape memory alloy. When a current is applied to it, it will contract and bend into a pre-defined shape. Students will learn how to use Flexinol (a type of muscle wire) with their Arduino projects to create movement. Muscle wire is especially useful for those interested in creating movement in their wearable projects, as it is lightweight. In this class, you will learn how to shape Flexinol wire, the best ways to implement Flexinol into a project, and how to use it in combination with an Arduino.

About Marisa:

An active member of Toronto's Wearables community, Marisa Ranalli has presented to the Toronto Wearables Meetup and at various academic events around town. Quiet and dedicated, she is interested in pushing flexinol as far as it can go. If you're interested even slightly in wearable technology, she's one of The People To Talk To.