Robot-woven sneaker with 3D-printed soles
spectrum.ieee.org
spectrum.ieee.org
They've done some other cool stuff with their 3d printed lattice like the midsole of an Adidas shoe that's already out and some bike saddles (I think for Specialized and another brand I can't remember).
While our prototype never got into a production, it was very clear that Carbon3d has a uniquely strong proposition because of their materials.
As I said, Carbon3d underappreciated, because everyone think "it's just a more expensive Formlabs", while in fact Carbon3d is all about production-grade materials.
If it was possible to take materials from Carbon3d and then print on Formlabs, that would be a very good combo.
For example Origin [1], which was just bought by Stratasys, is very similar in a lot of ways.
0. https://venturebeat.com/2019/06/25/3d-printing-platform-carb... 1. https://www.origin.io
Adidas is really leaning into a lot of new tech, having just recently announced Stan Smith Mylo too, shoes made with mushroom based leather: https://www.adidas.com/us/blog/663481
For day to day use, there's $30 Nikes that are fine.
Sadly, this is bad news for the future of human freedom, as it will mean the associated exploitation and environmental impact isn't gonna end soon either.
However, I have this hypothesis this problem can be solved with software otherwise, by removing the complexity and hurdle of custom pattern creation and distribution to the typical end consumer.
You can't make your own fridge, smartphone, and even wood working is out of reach for most people in the city (space, logistics). However, everyone physically capable could in principle sew their own clothes, if it's just down to the sewing part. Traditional pattern creation and/or application is the hard part. Space needed, investment in the sewing machine and fabric, time expenditure... It's all relatively feasible to most.
I think having a FOSS variant of Clo3d, UI optimized to match different experience levels and a github like collaboration network would offer the potential to kill a good chunk of fast fashion, complex supply chains, and consequently ecological and humanitarian exploitation.
Imagine using a camera or lidar scanner to measure your body, load that to the software, have the design specification applied to your personal body model, the pattern projected onto the fabric for cutting, or even laser cut, until all is left is sewing the pieces together according to the community improved instructions.
No more compromises in fitting. Things will last and be cared for, because you made them yourself. Fewer better clothing.
Or delegate this to your local sewing service, which operates under the same opportunity of reduced overhead.
Things just need to be FOSS to have this change the world. Clo3d costs 500€/month minimum... But really it's just blender with extra steps. It can be done.
Maybe asking robots to do the human thing is not the right approach. Just like dishwashers don't do things resembling how humans approach the task. Which implies the clothing would have to change somehow. Is that even possible? I don't know.
I think the loom is already the dishwasher here, where sewing is collecting used, unordered dishes.
I think these tasks need a deeper understanding of what's there to handle. Prediction how things will behave and adapt intelligently if they don't. E.g. spontaneously using your pinky to stretch away the fabric getting in the way. You need to understand the meaning of the seam to manifest it, even out tension, redo some part, ... Non petrol based fabric has imperfections and variances.
I think you need general purpose, human-level AI to sew a good jeans.
3D robot woven fibre composites were a thing for more than a decade.
What's your point, really? Is what I said invalidated, because you assumed some inconsistency off topic? Do you think that's constructive and helpful to discourse and exploring new ideas?
Then you went on some tangent about "the future of human freedom".
I think you missed the point. It's exactly the answer to "not everyone can design clothing". You download the design specs, the software does the calculation and application, and then you cut the fabric. No designing, no following and fitting lines on large paper patterns... All this can be done in software.
It's probably been around for a while, by it was alien technology to me at the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vmLO7SQ32o
Imagine that - the podiatrist can just write configs/settings that you could load into the shoe-maker and we're done.
Then I want a machine to custom-make pants and shirts. The rubbish from the dept store never seems to fit all that well and wear out far too quickly.
It seems almost criminal to talk about tech like this without seeing it in use.
way back in high school, i was a 5:45minute miler, and hit 5:30 once. it was not fast, at least fast enough to win. sure, 5:30 isn't a walk, but maybe my views on the mile speeds are skewed because i was in it.??
5:30/mile is like 17:00/5km, which is near the edge of the bell curve.
spikes (the shoe) eliminate pretty much all the padding and weight. And trade it for a rigid plate designed to put you on the ball of your foot for speed. It’s a trade off optimized for speed
Very impressive to see Adidas committing to this concept with real industrial robots and printers for a couple of years already with the Speedfactory and this etc.
If Adidas can solidify the tech and pave a way forward, this could be huge.
[0] https://www.adidas.com/us/blog/562694
[1] https://www.sneakerfactory.net/2020/04/knit-shoe-constructio...
I suppose you are thinking "Why should I care, those Walmart sneakers fit me just fine" but if you had to pay podiatrist $400 for custom orthotics every year this article would get your attention.
TFA says the first applications are for elite athletes.
Pravda says this is potentially a way to free the poorest paid workers of the world from some of the most difficult repititious labour.
Isaac Asimov says in the future lots of things will be made this way.
What will all the people be doing in the future when all the work is done by machines? Some of them will be writing novels, and editing documentaries, about how the world used to be before robots.
And evolved to walk to walk barefoot.
> I suppose you are thinking "Why should I care, those Walmart sneakers fit me just fine"
No, I use comfortable quality shoes. But most feet aren't that unique that a massproduced shoe that conforms to them after a break in period wont fit them.
> Pravda says this is potentially a way to free the poorest paid workers of the world from some of the most difficult repititious labour.
Do you expect millions of low price shoes to be produced by specialized machines after taking a 3D scan of your foot?
> What will all the people be doing in the future when all the work is done by machines?
I don't have anything against machines or robots, just as I don't have anything against regular juice presses. You can automate those jobs with more conventional robots. Having custom shoes printed to order is not a realistic production method for the vast majority of shoes sold. When it comes to bespoke equipment for a handful of elite athletes or rich hobbyists anything goes of course, you can already buy 3D printed bike saddles and handle bars, but this is not the future of shoe manufacturing for the masses.
There will be a lot of poor people with no income. That is not a recipe for a good ending.
A new way of manufacturing won't have the same tradeoffs and limitations, the setup costs, tolerances, material properties. Direct injection is how Adidas makes something like 350 million pairs of shoes a year now. And they have been selling 3d printed soles with knit uppers for a couple years now. The innovation in this story is more about the design and the manufacturing process than the materials. You can't buy size 13.5, or wide or narrow(except a few models), or a pair where one is a half size smaller or larger traditionally. And beyond just the sizing, there is a lot more aesthetically when you are customizing at the individual level.