The clothes we wear can say a lot about who we are and how we’re feeling. It’s not an exact science though and you shouldn’t bet your life on your assessments. There is a garment however that literally lets you wear your emotions on your sleeve. Meet Anouk Wipprecht’s Pangolin dress: a robotic dress that changes shape and color according to your brainwaves.
Shape and color changing dress
The dress looks like it belongs in a fashion show featured in some science fiction movie. It requires the wearer to put on a headpiece containing 1,204 electroencephalography sensors. These sensors pick up the wearer’s brainwaves and use the electrical signals to control 64 actuators spread throughout the garment.
That’s where the fun begins and the dress “comes alive”. The actuators control small 3D-printed “scales” on the garment that move up and down and even light up. Feeling relaxed results in a soothing purple outfit, while stress causes flickering lights and and a frantically moving garment. “As each of the BCI inputs is connected to each one of the actuators, this gives a very individual animation of the dress,” says Wipprecht”.
Fashion lacks micro-controllers
Wipprecht is a Dutch fashiontech designer that believes what fashion lacks are micro-controllers. The designer sees the dress as a new way to visualize the complexity that is the human brain. The Pangolin isn’t her first creation that incorporates design and technology in such an intricate way. Her past creations include a Faraday cage dress and a robotic dress with proximity sensors to reclaim some of that much needed personal space.
The Pangolin dress will be featured during this years edition of Ars Electronica. If you’re interested, it’s possible to virtually attend the festival through the official website. Unfortunately you won’t find it during your usual shopping spree. A dress you can actually buy is the smart dress by Spinali. It comes in different designs and colors and keeps you connected to your friends.
Source: CNet
