Reactive Body informed 3D printed textiles Tu/e university Eindhoven

I’ve been hired by the department of Wearable senses – University of Eindhoven, as expert physical interaction designer, specialized in movement mapping, to develop a research about Body informed 3D printing: how to make a wearable garment, using the technology of 3D printing. My research, The dragon is alive, focused on garments able to react and accomodate physical movement, allowing the wearer to participate to the design of the shape through their own personal dynamics. The results will be integrated by the dutch fashion designer Pauline van Dongen.

Body informed 3D printing for fashion: khaleesi the little dragon is alive by Paola Tognazzi from paola tognazzi on Vimeo.

I’m working on 2 fronts:
1: Proprioceptive methodologies to find and map the directions of body’s movements (pleats placement) in order to find the essential data and design mechanisms to put in communication the impulses of physical movement to the pattern of the textile structure and trigger it so that it reacts visualizing the quality/personality of the movement.

2: Coding wise: Applying dance and choreography’s techniques, I developed in Processing simulations of patterns designs, which react to different directions of push and pull, so that the pattern transforms, thus changing the behavior of the textile.

Developing a system that connects the dynamics of the body to the textile pattern, we create a way so that physical movement change the directions, thickness, volume and spacing of the pattern thus we create a textile designs embedded with multiple behaviors which can change according to the information sent by the body in the form of physical movement. This can create textile patterns for multiple functionalities.

It’s being a great experience, thanks to Dr. Oscar Tomico, Martijn ten Bhömer, Kristi Kuusk, Brandon Yeup Hur, Pauline Van Dongen and the assistance of Ralph Zoontjens.