Development of an interactive shirt for self-directed motor learning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for an interactive clothing that offers a self-directed learning environment in which learners can practice exercises in a time and cost-efficient manner. Design/methodology/approach To verify the validity of the framework, an interactive shirt has been developed that can help its wearer practicing certain motor skills in a self-directed manner. This shirt enables the wearer to set reference body postures and to compare current posture with them and can notify whether its wearer repeats them correctly or not through vibrotactile feedback. Findings The interactive shirt prototype developed in this study will offer an environment in which learners can practice exercises in a time and cost-efficient manner. Originality/value The smart garment framework developed in this study consists of sensor-actuator module, switch device and control software. As this framework is easily scalable, it is expected that it can be used for various smart garment projects where an interaction between the garment and its wearer is needed.