TEXTILES.ORG
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed InSituWear, a robotic fabrication method that can weave custom wearables directly onto the human body.
The method involves heating thermoplastic polycaprolactone to a plasticized state and stretching it into microfilaments, which are robotically drawn in 3D. The filaments are woven around the body by robots, eliminating the need for scanning, modeling and assembly. When the filaments cool, they adhere and retain shape, enabling custom-fit, waste-free fabrication.
The system has two components: a computational pipeline that turns designs into robotic motion and a modular end-effector suite that enables robotic melt-drawing through interchangeable single- and multi-needle tools with localized heating.
The design system can vary filament diameter, wrapping density and weaving pattern. Integrating additives and conductive elements into the fibers allows them to react to heat and touch, for example to change color. Tensile testing revealed that the textiles perform within the mechanical range of common commercial fabrics.
The researchers developed a cross-pattern sleeve prototype and a thermochromic glove prototype. The sleeve and glove demonstrated safe on-body fabrication. The glove was successfully integrated with nichrome wires, producing localized activation of color change triggered by specific hand gestures and body heat.
Other potential applications include using the method to wrap open 3D frames to make lightweight structural textiles for furniture or architecture.
The project was conducted by researchers at the Critical Matter Group at MIT’s Media Lab, led by Behnaz Farahi, Ph.D., assistant professor of media arts and sciences at MIT. The research was published in the Association for Computing Machinery’s digital library in April.