Embodied RF Ecologies

Following the quest to embody the invisible transmissions that surround us, this wearable explores the use of an IC mixer circuit to down convert the emissions from the NOAA weather satellite and make them audible. By continuing the research into textile antennas and fractal geometry as a means to detect radio-frequency (RF) transmissions, this project aims

to speculate about the body as an agent of power in a post-capitalist world, and to re-interpret transmission technologies through handmade crafting techniques.

The soft-circuit is hand-embroidered with brass conductive thread from Karl Grimm and it features a down-converter circuit using the NE602 double balanced mixer and oscillator IC, and also a signal amplifier using the TDA2822M IC dual low voltage power amplifier IC. All the circuit traces are made with either conductive thread, or fabric wires (handmade using copper taffeta conductive fabric) and all the connections are made with snaps in order to be able to be used in a performative context, by snapping and unsnapping connections, and interchanging the cables similarly with a modular synthesizer.

Although the circuit was tested in the lab using a signal generator transmitted at 137MHz, the original intention of picking up NOAA transmissions was never achieved. It did though set the basis for further exploration into RF sensing, and specifically was the precursor of the Listening Space project and the exploration of software-defined radio. The analog circuitry used in this project is able to pick up a variety of different radio signals which are mixed together depending on the wearer’s movement and directionality, and there is also an on-textile tuner (a trimmer capacitor) located on the side pocket which can be used to tune the antenna signal, as well as a knob on the left shoulder which can adjust the amplifier volume.