The Massachusetts Institute of Technology now has the power to revolutionize the world of fashion. In the latest video shared by the institution, it has been observed that low-cost fashion may be at the beginning of a great revolution with a technology devised by the aforementioned university. It is a robot that is capable of creating the perfect size of a personalized design for each user as many times as they want.
The robot is being developed by a team at MIT’s Self-Assembly Laboratory, in collaboration with high-tech apparel company Ministry of Supply. It is an automaton armed with a heat gun called 4D Knit Dress. As the researchers explain, the dress we see in the video is not 3D printed, the ‘4D’ in its name refers to the concept of 4D printing, in which the fourth dimension of the manufacturing process of an item is the self-assembly over time.
In the images and in the article shared by MIT, we see how a computer-controlled industrial knitting machine begins by knitting the entire basic dress in a single piece, incorporating a special active yarn in which the fibers permanently shorten when heated. beyond a certain temperature. As they explain, when purchased, the “raw” dress is placed on a dress-shaped mannequin.
Then, based on the shopper’s measurements and individual style, a robotic arm uses a custom heat gun to strategically heat the garment, causing the fabric to shrink just the right amount in the right places. Depending on how the active yarn is distributed in those areas, it can shrink to form elements such as pleats, shapes or, of course, a tailored, more or less fitted waist. This makes it easier for the garment to adapt to the tastes of those who are going to buy it.
On the other hand, it is specified that even if the press is washed with hot water, this would not activate the active thread. Furthermore, on the other hand, MIT explains that if, for example, the user begins to tire of the garment in its current form, he can reuse it. The armed robot is capable of adding new characteristics to the material. In this way, we would be faced with a timeless piece, which never goes out of style because it can always be reinvented thanks to technology.
Finally, MIT talks about a technology that should reduce the amount of fabric that is wasted in the textile industry. “It can also absorb some of the size variations that retailers need to stock. Instead of extra small, small, medium, large and extra large, retailers can have one dress for the smaller sizes and another for the larger sizes.” “says Sasha MicKinlay, researcher at the Self-Assembly Laboratory.
