If you’re looking for the cutting-edge of the clothing world, you’ll probably want to keep an eye on the team at Nervous System. The company is made up of a duo of MIT graduates who have come together to “craft computational systems that result in a myriad of distinct creations…[which] are realized using computer-controlled manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing.”
In other words, when it comes to Nervous System’s clothing and accessories, extensive customization in both fit and design is the name of the game. And the company’s latest creation, the “Kinematic Petals dress,” is a perfect example of that ethos.
The Petals dress was commissioned by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, and was created using Nervous System’s “Kinematics” program, a system that designs and simulates flexible structures for 3D printing. Using Kinematics, Nervous System can create designs made from thousands of moving, interconnected pieces, any of which can be customized to fit a person’s 3D body scan.
And while the Petals dress is made up of over 1,600 pieces connected by more than 2,600 hinges, it requires zero assembly. The pieces that make up the whole come out of the 3D printer fully connected, a feat that’s achieved by folding—or rolling—the garment’s design before it’s printed. Using Kinematics, Nervous System can effectively print designs larger than the 3D printing machine itself. Finished designs unfurl like reverse-origami.
Aside from extensive potential for customization, Kinematics also offers the ability to alter garments by either adding or deleting more material. In the case of the Petals dress—which has removable bottom sections—there are essentially three garments in one: a top, a skirt, and a dress.
If you’re interested in seeing the Kinematic Petals dress in person, it will be on exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston from March 6, through July 10, 2016. Unfortunately, it isn’t on sale yet, although some of Nervous System’s jewelry is, which can be found here.
What do you think about Nervous System’s Kinematics design process? And what kind of design would you like to have 3D printed to fit your body shape? Let us know in the comments section below!
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HT: Fast Company
Images: Nervous System
