Second Brainstorm - The Ideas (week25)

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Matsuda, K. (2016) Hyper Reality
what workshops/lectures do we propose to undertake? what are the social implications and viability of the product?

Team robot met today to discuss the initial Ideas we had come up with individually - M has joined us so we now have 2 pattern cutters in the mix.

After looking at current technologies and trying to think beyond what is already possible, my final contributions were,

An online training academy to inspire young designers to work digitally.
Having run into so many problems attempting to learn pattern software I thought a course of simple, well presented tutorials for optitex, MD etc and a supportive design based rather than tech based community would encourage new ways of working among young design and cutting students.

A piece of Virtual Toile creation software.
Using a VR technology like the VIVE's tilt-brush application, a pattern cutter would be able to drape a custom sized mannequin with simulated pieces of large cloth, replicating the intuitive, creative way in which a pattern maker drapes on the stand but eliminating costly and wasteful fabric toiles.

An AR smartphone app which allows company logos/fabric patterns to animate when viewed through the lens.
This Technology has already been developed as "Vuforia" (among other softwares) allowing businesscards to animate with a product when a pattern on it is scanned - using it as a way of changing colours and patterns on cloth eliminates dye waste and also enables new colour/pattern trends to simply project on previous clothing leading to longevity of clothing/fashion.

An easy to use front end to an AI algorithm  which remembers pictures of clothes/designers you like, analyses the trends and and incorporates elements into brand new unique AI designed pieces especially for you.

The others also had some very interesting ideas - These were mostly mainly based around current technologies however and as a group we are eager to explore beyond the current tech to a new future. Perhaps situating the project as a speculative new future - how will a fashion designer work in 2030?

M suggested custom 3D printed mannequins using the body scanning techniques at Manchester uni, we debated whether a simple scanning booth that could be placed in supermarkets might allow custom measurements to be uploaded and custom fitted garments created in online shopping experiences rather than simply ordering a garment in small, medium or large. R suggested an App linked to current internet of things technologies - inserted as part of a new garment label tag which would ping and let you know if garments similar to ones chosen by you, or items from a favourite designer were nearby, Ideal for shopping in TK max! B envisaged a fully robot integrated and operated warehouse with guidance systems, personal printers and packing stations, no humans required.... many of these individual techs (pharmaceutical picking robotics) are already in use but as yet a fully robotic warehouse packing system does not seem to exist.

Prof Rowan suggested we concentrate attention on the Virtual Reality Toile idea as that gives plenty of scope for interesting collaborative experimentation and research.
It covers issues of industry waste and remote working as well as exploiting technologies that already exists but are not yet "joined up".
This could be a genuinely viable product as it uses technologies we already have available - future developments would make it better, faster and easier to use....

R is setting up the basic wix site, B is investigating film and animation ideas, M is finding a space for us to experiment with real life toiling. I am trying to track down the uni's HTC vive VR headset.....

We shall be experimenting with real fabric draping as a group, and also experimenting with tilt brush as a group to see how the two approaches to creation differ and how the user experience of each can be enhanced....

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