Following Nervous System’s launch of its Kinematics app towards the end of last year, the generative design studio has introduced a beautiful proof-of-concept in the form of a 3D-printed nylon bodice, which has debuted in New York City at the opening exhibit of Apexart’s “Coding the Body”. The bodice specifically designed and made to fit based on a 3D scan of one of the designers, Jessica Rosenkrantz, endured quite a journey to eventual production. Nervous System kept the mountaintop in mind during the arduous climb, finding the right operating system and folds for their finished piece. What the audience and visitors at the exhibit will see is a seamless breathable bodice ready for a welcome spring in New York. Yet designers and researchers applied a prodigious amount of work with their time and creativity to make the bodice work.
Unique to the Kinematics’ design is a print without any parts that need to be clipped together or adjusted after 3D printing — indeed, this was a primary motivation behind developing the app — with the hinges 3D printed into the bodice and designed in such a way that allowed it to be “folded” to fit into the printing space. As you may expect, the the reality was not quite as straightforward as the theory, but undeterred, the designers overcame the challenges.
Kinematics Bodice from Nervous System on Vimeo.
Using SLS provided a precision print to fuse material together, but the heat from the laser would fuse parts within 5mm. In order to circumvent the issue, a precise model needed to be formed with accurate software that could handle adjustments and the proper folded form that could also be unfolded into the wearable bodice. They also switched from Bullet Physics to Open Dynamic Engine for the physics engine because of complications with compression phases when attempting error free simulations. To correct errors with hinges coming off axis, the team needed to run the simulation in two phases, compression and relaxation. ODE, more popular with robotics than graphics and games, provided two solvers, a fast one and an accurate one. Covering over 1,000 modules, the fast solver helped, but the accurate solver proved most helpful.
Kinematics Bodice – flattening for 3D-printing from Nervous System on Vimeo.
In order to proceed to making the bodice, there were project elements to verify. These the fit of the garment on the person scanned, how comfortable and wearable the piece is, ensuring the folding software is not producing intersecting or fused components, and assessing from issues on the fabrication side in terms of printing errors and depowdering procedures. Once all of these steps verified to the point of near perfection, the bodice was 3D printed and ready for wear.
The bodice captures the avant garde fashion of exoskeleton art fashion while printed out ready-for-wear. Its lithe form and movement allows the wearer to feel sexy and relaxed yet part of something completely unique and on the edge of technology. It will be on show at the Coding the Body exhibition until May 10th.
For the Nervous System designers, the next step is a step further — on to a full dress.
