Fractal: Living Jewelry by Philips

Philips Design has created yet another absolutely gorgeous wearable project for their Design Probes series called Fractal: Living Jewelry. Here's how they describe it:

"Fractal is a stunning, figure-hugging outfit consisting entirely of huge imitation jewels augmented by pulsing LEDs. By incorporating sensors that measure movement, excitement levels and proximity of others - and using this input to alter the intensity of its integrated lighting - Fractal essentially becomes an extension of the body. It also serves as a platform for exploring emotional sensing. Unlike a cut and sewn garment, Fractal is made using product materials and processes. This opens up the possibility of ‘Hybrid’ forms and new functionalities in the search for solutions in the spaces of traditional apparel functionality - thermal protection, structure and support, water resistance, providing modesty, flesh control, and the ever-changing style calendars."

The geometric aesthetics makes me think of Mashallah Design and Linda Kostowski's digitally printed fashion, which I posted a couple months ago. The garments use an unfolding polygon method to generate the textile patterns.

Additional design probes from Philips include the beautiful Bubelle Blush dress and probes that explore the skin as the electronic platform.

Automatically generating crochet patterns

Matt Gilbert, a grad student at Georgia Tech, created a program that automatically generates crochet patterns. Gilbert says that "this experimental work was inspired by the intimate historical ties between textiles and computation, as well as the propagation patterns of acoustics.

On one level, this project is an experiment in appropriating technology for mass production for the purposes of small-scale production, while maintaining a connection between the producer and the produced good. This is what [Gilbert] calls "augmented craft", as distinct from automated production. The computer plays a role, but it does not displace the person." source

Similarly Mashallah Design and Linda Kostowski created incredibly beautiful polygon textile patterns that are generated programmatically using computer 3D modeling. See Digitally printed fashion that I posted last month.

Luminescent raincoat

Multimedia designer and programmer Elise Co, designed Puddlejumper, a concept that brings light and color to our usually gray and rainy days. These dreary and dark days reflect our mood and the winter is the time of year when they're the most prevalent (for those of us not lucky enough to live in the tropics). Elise decided to solve that problem by creating a luminescent raincoat that glows in the rain. She hand-silkscreened electroluminescent lamps on the front of the jacket, which are wired to water sensors on the back and sleeve. When water hits the sensor, the lights glow and flicker.

Elise created this project in 2004 and there have been some advancements in light-up textiles since then. If designed today, she may replace the EL technology with textile LEDs or Lumalive technology that is available on the market today.

Illuminating heavy-knit dress

Designer Mary Huang created this heavy-knit dress that illuminates a soft white light. Conceptually, there's not much there, but the LEDs that Huang has integrated into the textile makes for a lovely glowing aesthetic. According to Dvice Huang says, "Integrating technology into a wearable piece can often be cumbersome, so in a successful piece, the design must outshine the technology." It should also have some sort of concept. Even so, the LEDs in this implementation are subtle enough that they would be intriguing in a place with dim light, such as a restaurant or lounge, and it makes a pleasing aesthetic.

For more light dresses, see my earlier post on Illuminating textile madness.

Evoking memories of relationships

Designer Elena Corchero focuses on creating work that explores lost values through the combination of clothing and technology. "By evoking the beauty and melancholy of craft, her work challenges the aesthetics and function of smart fabrics emphasizing the emotional value of keepsakes and garments." One of her many beautiful projects is WhisPiral, a gorgeous spiral-shaped shawl that carries whispers of your loved ones. It explores how technology can enhance the way garments and accessories evoke memories of these relationships.

The circuitry is integrated directly in the textile and allows your friends and loved ones to record short audio messages at different locations. These are then "whispered" back when you either wrap the shawl around you or if you caress a different area of the garment.

Bubelle blush dress reacts to emotions

Philips design probe program has created a variety of projects under the theme SKIN. The concept behind these experimental garments is to investigate the expression of emotion and personality through reactive wearable technology. The futuristic garments "show emotive technology and how the body and the near environment can use pattern and color change to interact and predict the emotional state" of the wearer. 

One of my favorite dresses is the gorgeous Bubelle Blush Dress, which uses biometric sensing technology that senses your emotions on its inner layer and projects them onto the outer layer. The result is a beautiful dress that illuminates light patterns within its textiles and reacts differently to every individual.

source via popgadget, we make money not art