Textile Reflexes project starts with funding from EU

A brand new collaboration between Hellen van Rees and the Designlab, University of Twente is about to start. Hellen will work with researchers Angelika Mader and Geke Ludden on a project involving technology and sustainability.

This project aims to further develop the shape changing textile developed by Hellen van Rees. The flexible textile is made of squares of post-consumer textile waste. Through a unique approach the different squares can move and respond to each other, creating a flexible, expanding & contracting surface. Through this effect, a dynamic and playful texture emerges that easily adapts, leaving continuously changing open gaps between the squares.

We want to make a shape changing textile that can be applied in wearables. If the shape changing textile is connected to the internet, we get to robotic textiles as a part of the internet of things. By taking textiles as the basis in our prototype and adding the technology in a subtle way we aim to create a familiarity to the user. It feels comfortable, like a garment instead of a machine. The choice for material should thus take comfort, design, sustainability and quality in consideration. This way we aim to create a wearable that is suiteble in coaching situations in daily life.

The project is starting in August with support from the WEAR Sustain initiative that’s part of the European Union’s H2020 programme.