3D PRINTING : MoMA has acquired a fabric-like 3D printed dress by Nervous System
Nervous System – 3D Printed Functioning Dress
Category: 3D Printing/3D Modeling/Laser Cutting
Industry: Fashion
Location: New York
Related to: Fashion
Reviewer: Harrison Hecht – Parsons School of Design Strategies (Strategic Design and Management)
Company: Nervous System
Website: http://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/index.php
About: While wearable tech and 3D printing are considered the future of fashion, most attempts lead to rigid and uncomfortable products because of the singular structure that is usually produced. Another issue is the time it takes to assemble many 3D printed pieces to make a flexible product. However, generative design studio and brand, Nervous System, found a solution with their project: Kinematics, which produced a custom dress utilizing 3D scanners for the fit model’s body (custom aspect) and Kinematics a 4D printing program to create a structure out of, “2,279 unique triangular panels interconnected by 3,316 hinges, all 3D printed as a single piece in nylon.” The primary innovation is the intersection of technology and strategy. Kinematics allows for the creation of complex foldable forms and the strategy was the idea of 3D printing one piece, eliminating the assembling process that takes place when printing individual segments.
The outcome has lead to the first ever 3D printed garment that is flexible and wearable without requiring individual 3D printing of segments and assembling. While the dress isn’t composed of a traditional uniform fabric, it contains a variation of textures that drape and move the same way as a uniform fabric; the dress is also composed of a variety of textiles instead of the typical plastics associated with 3D printing. Despite the use of textiles, the dress is still rigid in some areas but there is no doubt that issue will be solved in future projects and experiments. MoMA has acquired this dress and has it in a permanent exhibit because of its artistic innovation. Nervous System has also developed their first clothing app called Kinematics Cloth and continues to find ways to make wearable tech and 3D printed garments a part of everyday live.