6. Computational Couture¶
Nadia Attmore
Research & Ideation¶
This week’s focus was computational couture, which is the intersection of fabrication, body form, and CAD. The lesson explained the use of how 3D technology can be used to create wearable designs that integrate science and art. This idea helps share how the human body can serve as the basis and source of inspiration for creative design from a fashionable perspective.
References & Inspiration¶
This week's inspiration came from the complexity of the human body in the ways in which science and design can be used in fashion to help reinterpret certain outlooks. I was drawn in on how the body might be seen as the blueprint that can lead to expressive art rather than just a canvas for fashion and design. This idea was centered on the hand specifically which is both delicate and strong and the fact that it's able to create and express based on the flow of the heart.
I was interested in the duality of the body and are itself and how my idea could be portrayed artistically through computational design after looking at many digital exoskeleton models and familiarizing myself with the movement of the human hand I was then able to gain a deeper understanding of the structure and flexibility and how they work together much like science and fashion.
In order to create a design that conveys a message about Innovation change and the shifting relationship between the human body and its anatomy and technology I was interested in how the digital world could capture the emotional depth of something like the human touch or its range of motion.
- Isabel Norris Howard
- Taratina L.
Tools¶
- [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com)
- [Tinkercad](https://www.tinkercad.com)
- [Ultimaker](https://ultimaker.com)
- [Vimeo](https://vimeo.com)
- Soldering iron
- 3D printer
- Jewelry cording
Process and workflow¶
To begin I turned my sketch to a 3D model and TinkerCad and saved it as an STL file to provide extra depth and support I changed the thickness to 3 mm for the fingers and knuckles and 4 mm for the hand plate itself in order to slice the file and get it ready to print. I imported the design into Ultimaker Cura to help myself learn more about form and proportion when it comes to the human body I looked up the anatomy of a hand paying close attention to the skeletal system.
From Vimeo¶
Step¶
I then hand drew the design after finding an image that matched my desired idea making sure that any possible negative space was filled in so they didn't interfere with the 3D printing process.
Step¶
After printing, I focused on the structure and movement. Shortly after I tested my prototype and decided to use jewelry cording instead of the first idea of using the cable chain link to connect the parts to replicate hand movement because it was lighter, more flexible, and easier to work with with the open holes I made to help attach them together, which also allowed me to be able to control the fit around the finger loops.
Step¶
I noticed a scale and proportional issue during the process because the pieces printed larger than my own hand and would fit better on a larger hand although it was a minor inconvenience, it reinforced how important it is to have relatively close or an exact measurement in digital fabrication to avoid mistakes.
Step¶
Once I removed the items off the bed of the printer I took my soldering iron to melt holes into the printed design. The method of inserting the cord through the soldered holes started to take on a symbolic meaning, it was as if I was repairing my hand and recreating its functionality. Embracing the physical construction of fashion as well as my conceptual recreation of the human body helped connect to my continued look at the body as a topic and structure through fashion.
Prototype Results¶
All Things Considered, this week's project expanded on my continued curiosity into the human body using computational design. The final results showed a balance between fluidity and structure where I was able to blend the natural flow of the human body.
