MIT researchers create 'living' textile

18 Feb '16

4 min read

While this project appeals to fashion designers and those creating athletic attire, Ishii points out that the Tangible Media Group focuses on diverse actuated materials: “This is one specific instance. We are not really dedicated to fashion design or dance performance wear, but for this project we did specific experiments applying to those areas. We are devoted to the much more fundamental concept of 'radical atoms.' Basically, we are interested in materials that artists and designers would use to express their ideas. For example, a product designer may use metal or glass or plastic. Computer designers may use a pixel in the computer screen, but that's intangible. Physical materials are nice, but frozen; they're dead. So we are interested in making materials that transform dynamically. That's what we call 'radical atoms.'”

Yao says this project aligned perfectly with the group's vision of “human interaction with future dynamic materials.” She adds that “the general idea is not only how you can be inspired by nature, but how you can collaborate with nature.”

The Tangible Media Group is leading the project in collaboration with MIT Department of Chemical Engineering, the Royal College of Art, and New Balance. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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