AI reimagines the couch but human designers still essential

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

In collaboration with Panter&Tourron, the IKEA design lab SPACE10 set out to use artificial intelligence (AI) to reimagine the couch to make it more sustainable and light enough for one person to carry. 
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Airbags make military equipment deployment faster

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

In remote regions when time is of the essence, a new airdrop system using reusable U.S.-made airbags will potentially get soldiers out of harm’s way faster.
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Enzymes power cotton-polyester blend separation

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

In 2018, of the 146.1 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposed into landfills, rubber, leather and textiles made up 11.1%, or 16.2 million tons, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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From farm to mattress

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

The mattress brand Avocado, based in Los Angeles, Calif., is on a mission to increase sustainability in the mattress industry.
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Flexible pumps offer upgrade to wearable technology

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

Most fluid-based wearable technologies require a large, inconvenient pump that is difficult to incorporate into clothing. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland, have developed a solution: flexible, fiber-like pumps that can be woven or sewn into textiles.
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TruRain tester uses just 1% of the water because of recirculating unit

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

Reducing water and energy use in textile manufacturing is top of mind in the industry, and the new water repellency tester from James Heal aims to make a difference there. 
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Algorithms aid researchers with heat-responsive fabric

August 31, 2023  |  Swatches

Engineers from Japanese clothing company A-POC Able Issey Miyake and University of Tokyo startup Nature Architects Inc. Ltd. presented their innovative approach to the design process at this year’s Milan Design Week held April 17–23, showcasing how algorithms can be used to automate and streamli…
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H&M award winners tackle industry challenges

August 31, 2023  |  Swatches

The 2023 winners of the H&M Foundation’s annual Global Change Award (GCA) offer a glimpse into the near future of textiles, from the creation of bio-based polyester alternatives to the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce fabric waste.
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Pop-up medical tent provides instant privacy for injured athletes

August 31, 2023  |  Swatches

In an age when every play—and every injury—in a game can be replayed ad infinitum online, the need to protect an athlete’s privacy on the sidelines during a medical exam becomes more important than ever. Thanks to Kinematic Co.’s SidelinER® pop-up medical tent, athletes don’t have to keep…
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RobotSweater may increase worker safety

August 31, 2023  |  Swatches

A team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Robotics Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa., is working to increase employee safety with the RobotSweater, a covering for machines that detects when it encounters a human, such as a factory worker.
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