3-D-Printing a Second Skin

Dec 19

Dec 19 3-D-Printing a Second Skin

It attracts attention, it responds to attention. It morphs in response to various internal and external stimuli. Temperature, fear, passion, moisture, anger, and exhilaration are all factors which cause it to expand and contract. This is the garment of the future. Not only is "Caress of the Gaze" a garment that attracts attention, but it is also one that can stare back.

Created by Behnaz Farahi, this 3-D-printed animatronic wearable can detect a human gaze. The cape detects when and where you're being stared at and has the ability to shape-shift in response. So, ever wondering if that feeling of the heat of someone's stare is warranted? This wearable garment will literally move and change to tell you if such is the case.

Caress of the Gaze is a stunning, modern cape modeled after the morphology of fish and snake scales. Each quill is a 3-D-printed piece of flexible mesh which mimics the movement of the innate human reaction to stimuli: goose bumps.

Farahi writes, "Our skin is constantly in motion...What if our clothing could behave as an artificial skin capable of changing its shape and operating as an interface with the world defining social issues such as intimacy, gender and even personal identities?" The forward thinking demonstrated by Farahi is remarkable. Her use of 3-D-printing technology to create clothing not only looks fashion forward but is additionally a technological masterpiece.

How does the garment actually work, you may ask? A camera lens 3 mm in diameter is stealthily placed right below the neck under the quills. The lens maps the viewers stare through a computer algorithm and reports back to the spines covering the wearable. The spines then attach to the specific spot and sway and stiffen to move just as human skin could.

Fashion is an ever-changing field. This garment combines the worlds of fashion, art, technology and design. Farahi's creation of the "Caress of the Gaze" garment opens up the possibility to a radical new approach to interactive clothing. Keep up with Behnaz Farahi on her website and see what is to come next!

Feature GIF via