‘Wearable Technology’ and 3D printed clothing demonstrate the present and future potential of engineering and scientific creativity through fashion
MORRISVILLE, N.C., March 6, 2012– Geomagic®, the leading provider of 3D software for creating and inspecting digital models of physical objects, today announced that CEO, Ping Fu, an expert in 3D imaging technologies, will be leading a presentation on Technology and Fashion at SXSW 2012, March 9-13, 2012 in Austin TX. Joining Ping for the presentation will be three leading clothing innovators: Alison Lewis, founder of Agent of Presence, Janet Hansen, Chief Fashion Engineer at Enlighted Designs Inc., and Sheridan Martin, senior UX designer at Microsoft.
This engaging session will show the language of art and design expressed through the intertwining of technology and fashion. Actual examples of wearable technology will be on display during the event, which use recent and new technologies to make amazing clothes: face masks that are a perfect fit using 3D scanning, 3D printed shoes, clothes that display carefully designed lighting as art and 'print' words from Twitter and other sources interactively on the fabric. This session highlights a few of the amazing things that can be done when technology is combined with creativity. The Technology and Fashion presentation will debut at 11:00 am at the Driskill Hotel Ballroom on Monday, March 12, 2012.
Janet Hansen of Enlighted Designs specializes in the artistic integration of electronic lighting with fabrics, using LEDs and EL wire as decorative elements. A former rocket scientist, she has been creating custom illuminated clothing and costumes for nearly 15 years. Her pieces are used by a wide range of professional entertainers, including pop stars, DJs, dancers, magicians, and team mascots.
Alison Lewis recently founded Agent of Presence, an innovative and intelligent fashion design firm based in Silicon Valley. To showcase how data can be used to connect us and be beautiful, she is presenting a dress that lights up with the wearer's heartbeat. Her prior work includes a blog site (www.iheartswitch.com) that features many DIY and instructional articles on how to create electronically infused fashion and home accessories, showing how technology can be harnessed to ignite a tech spark in the DIY and fashion design communities.
Sheridan Martin will be showing a beautifully crafted “Printing Dress” which displays LED signals as well as lit words from a Twitter account or other sources across the dress. In this dress, everything is functional from buttons to the hem. (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/Features/2011/aug11/08-03printingdress.mspx).
Perfect-fit 3D face masks, arm pieces, and 3D printed shoes will also be featured by Ping Fu, demonstrating the power, potential, and beauty of the 3D ‘capture, modify, make’ environment that has been evolving in recent years.
“This presentation is about understanding how far technology has come and how it already affects our environments in beautiful ways,” said Ping Fu, CEO, Geomagic. “But it is also about the future, the potential. How the impossible is becoming possible and can be expressed through many artistic forms including fashion.”
“Electrically infused fashion used to be exclusively for stage shows and special showcases,” said Alison Lewis, Agent Of Presence. “By making electronics part of the aesthetics of fashion, we can make it available for the masses to enjoy and use. The future is changing so that we can all fit in this new space.”
Ping and her co-presenters are coming together for the first time to deliver an eye-popping demonstration of current technologies and a glimpse into the future. At the same time, they hope to inspire females into design, engineering and science fields through their work.
Continued Ping, “This presentation shows that engineering and science technology can be used to successfully create beautiful expressions of art just like you will see during this event, with presenters who embody fun, technology, art, and fashion. We hope it will encourage more people to consider how technology can be used in creative, compelling ways.”
Geomagic is also a founding member of the Entrepreneurial Alliance of the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) which is hosting events throughout SXSW at the Moonshine Grill in alliance with Turner Broadcasting Inc. NCWIT is a community of over 300 companies, universities, and non-profits throughout the USA that work together to increase diversity in IT and computing fields. Attendees will be able to see and talk with Ping Fu at the NCWIT location as well as find out more about how diversity in engineering and scientific fields can strengthen companies’ performance.
The Technology and Fashion presentation will debut at 11:00 am at the Driskill Hotel Ballroom on Monday, March 12, 2012.
About Geomagic
Geomagic (www.geomagic.com) is a global company dedicated to advancing and applying 3D technology for the benefit of humanity. Geomagic’s scanning and design software solutions are used to capture and model 3D content from physical objects, organically sculpt complex shapes, and prepare products for manufacturing. In addition, the company produces powerful 3D metrology and inspection software that verifies dimensional quality by comparing as-built products to master designs. Geomagic’s Sensable Phantom haptic devices simulate the sense of touch in a digital environment.
Geomagic’s software and hardware are utilized by world-class customers in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer products, toys, collectibles, coin design, jewelry, fine art, heritage restoration, research, education, mold making, entertainment, training and surgical simulation. In fact, some of the world’s leading companies and research organizations use Geomagic software, including Ford, BMW ,Boeing, Harley Davidson, Timberland, Mattel/Fisher Price, Lego, Pratt & Whitney, NASA, Schneider Electronic, 3M, Danaher, and Invisalign. Geomagic is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, with an office in Boston, subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, and channel partners worldwide.
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Geomagic, Geomagic Studio, Geomagic Qualify, Geomagic Qualify Probe, Geomagic Spark, Wrap, Geomagic Wrap, Phantom, OpenHaptics, Omni, Freeform, Claytools, Sensable and Sensable Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of Geomagic Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.