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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Jane Scott
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
Programmable knitting presents a new class of behaving textiles, responsive to environmental stimuli and programmed to change in shape as humidity levels in the environment increase. It is a hierarchical system that exploits the inherent functionality of textile fibres, yarns and fabrics to integrate shape change behaviour into the intrinsic structure of the material. The research applies a biomimicry methodology, with insight derived from the structural organisation of plant materials; specifically, the control of hygromorphic actuation for seed dispersal. This biological model has produced transferable principles for application to responsive textiles and it has been critical to the success of the research. But how can this research advance thinking on the design potential of programmable materials? This paper explores how the complex hierarchies that exist within textiles can be used to engineer a unique class of programmable systems. This challenges conventional smart interfaces that rely on mediated responses via electronic control. Instead this paper demonstrates how an alternative approach informed by biomimicry can generate a new class of smart-natural materials.
Author(s): Scott J
Editor(s): Storni, C, Leahy, K, McMahon, M, Lloyd, P and Bohemia, E,
Publication type: Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Publication status: Published
Conference Name: DRS2018: Design as a catalyst for change
Year of Conference: 2018
Pages: 1800-1811
Online publication date: 25/06/2018
Acceptance date: 01/12/2017
Date deposited: 28/04/2020
Publisher: Design Research Society , London,
URL: https://doi.org/10.21606/dma.2018.535
DOI: 10.21606/dma.2018.535
Library holdings: Search Newcastle University Library for this item
ISBN: 9781912294190