My Digital-Physical World

Category: Design

My project’s inspiration started out from my father's cycling helmet. While researching this artifact I discovered that the helmet design was influenced by physiological processes in nature. Digital fashion is one of the required expressions of our generation. I therefore thought that it would be interesting to examine in the digital space, a space where the effects of nature are absent, designing an artifact which is inspired by nature driven processes. The entire model was influenced by technology, by using advanced digital tools and various virtual software packages, which enable significant savings in fabric and paper waste and maintaining the values of sustainability, which formed the basis for the execution of the project. As a starting point I 3D scanned my father's cycling helmet. I then transferred the scan to “MeshMixer” - a 3D software which assisted me in creating a silhouette utilizing a "virtual model" of the helmet on an avatar. I then manipulated digital effects that "mimic" physiological forces of nature in the digital space. This included mimicking forces such as wind and air and I checked how they affect the pattern of the helmet until I reached the desired silhouette. I then created my model utilizing a software program called CLO 3D. In parallel, I contemplated which materials would suit my project best, and translate the product in the best way from the digital to the physical dimension. That ias why I chose leather, as the leather’s stiffness will maintain the silhouette. The last step in the digital process is the model production process which is also still in the digital dimension. I printed the cut of the model with digital printing on leather and double Lycra.