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01.20.2025
01.20.2025
Auxetic Suit
Auxetic Suit
Auxetic Suit
Falls become more detrimental through age, as we increasingly lose muscle mass, decreasing our ability to lessen the impact of falls. The auxetic suit is designed to provide a holistic protection without the need for individual articles. Its parametric shock absorption gradation allows for protective and non-protective areas to weave together as a single material system. Danger points of the body during a fall were researched and used as attractor points to create higher density of material and protection in those areas. Similarly to how our muscles respond to force by flexing, a smart material type called auxetic materials acts in a similar way, except instead of expanding on impact, they contract proportionally around areas of pressure. By contracting upon impact, auxetic materials absorb shock by distributing force throughout the structure as well as densifying the material at the point of impact.
Falls become more detrimental through age, as we increasingly lose muscle mass, decreasing our ability to lessen the impact of falls. The auxetic suit is designed to provide a holistic protection without the need for individual articles. Its parametric shock absorption gradation allows for protective and non-protective areas to weave together as a single material system. Danger points of the body during a fall were researched and used as attractor points to create higher density of material and protection in those areas. Similarly to how our muscles respond to force by flexing, a smart material type called auxetic materials acts in a similar way, except instead of expanding on impact, they contract proportionally around areas of pressure. By contracting upon impact, auxetic materials absorb shock by distributing force throughout the structure as well as densifying the material at the point of impact.
Falls become more detrimental through age, as we increasingly lose muscle mass, decreasing our ability to lessen the impact of falls. The auxetic suit is designed to provide a holistic protection without the need for individual articles. Its parametric shock absorption gradation allows for protective and non-protective areas to weave together as a single material system. Danger points of the body during a fall were researched and used as attractor points to create higher density of material and protection in those areas. Similarly to how our muscles respond to force by flexing, a smart material type called auxetic materials acts in a similar way, except instead of expanding on impact, they contract proportionally around areas of pressure. By contracting upon impact, auxetic materials absorb shock by distributing force throughout the structure as well as densifying the material at the point of impact.
Advisors : David Correa, Maya Pysbeski
Partnership :
Process: The gradation was initially designed by varying the thickness of each lattice member to balance shock absorption, comfort, and material efficiency. However, a print error created a transition from a 3D to a 2D profile, inspiring a new design approach. Moving from a volumetric lattice to a flatter, laminar structure improves flexibility and form-fitting ability, especially in body areas needing less protection. This gradation involves three key factors: the surface area of the gradient, the thickness of individual lattice members, and the shift from 3D to 2D structures. Together, they allow the material to adapt to different body needs by adjusting shock absorption levels across the garment. This approach optimizes strength, reduces energy use in manufacturing, and maximizes material efficiency. Still, printing the 2D elements poses challenges, such as deformations caused by layer misalignment when printed perpendicular to the bed, which is an area for further improvement.
Process: The gradation was initially designed by varying the thickness of each lattice member to balance shock absorption, comfort, and material efficiency. However, a print error created a transition from a 3D to a 2D profile, inspiring a new design approach. Moving from a volumetric lattice to a flatter, laminar structure improves flexibility and form-fitting ability, especially in body areas needing less protection. This gradation involves three key factors: the surface area of the gradient, the thickness of individual lattice members, and the shift from 3D to 2D structures. Together, they allow the material to adapt to different body needs by adjusting shock absorption levels across the garment. This approach optimizes strength, reduces energy use in manufacturing, and maximizes material efficiency. Still, printing the 2D elements poses challenges, such as deformations caused by layer misalignment when printed perpendicular to the bed, which is an area for further improvement.
Process: The gradation was initially designed by varying the thickness of each lattice member to balance shock absorption, comfort, and material efficiency. However, a print error created a transition from a 3D to a 2D profile, inspiring a new design approach. Moving from a volumetric lattice to a flatter, laminar structure improves flexibility and form-fitting ability, especially in body areas needing less protection. This gradation involves three key factors: the surface area of the gradient, the thickness of individual lattice members, and the shift from 3D to 2D structures. Together, they allow the material to adapt to different body needs by adjusting shock absorption levels across the garment. This approach optimizes strength, reduces energy use in manufacturing, and maximizes material efficiency. Still, printing the 2D elements poses challenges, such as deformations caused by layer misalignment when printed perpendicular to the bed, which is an area for further improvement.
Outlook: Although the auxetic protective suit design underwent extensive iterations, prototyping failures led to the most valuable improvements. One print error created a 3D to 2D gradient that could be further explored to self-generate thickness variations by controlling material detachment from the print bed. This would speed up design by removing the need for detailed digital modeling. Future materials with reversible shape retention, like shape memory polymers, could allow the suit to be reshaped over time to adapt to changes in the wearer’s body, improving fit and sustainability. Different auxetic patterns can also be tested to optimize shock absorption, flexibility, and comfort, adding new functional layers to the design. While existing tests show auxetic materials absorb energy well, further impact testing specific to falls is needed.
Outlook: Although the auxetic protective suit design underwent extensive iterations, prototyping failures led to the most valuable improvements. One print error created a 3D to 2D gradient that could be further explored to self-generate thickness variations by controlling material detachment from the print bed. This would speed up design by removing the need for detailed digital modeling. Future materials with reversible shape retention, like shape memory polymers, could allow the suit to be reshaped over time to adapt to changes in the wearer’s body, improving fit and sustainability. Different auxetic patterns can also be tested to optimize shock absorption, flexibility, and comfort, adding new functional layers to the design. While existing tests show auxetic materials absorb energy well, further impact testing specific to falls is needed.
Outlook: Although the auxetic protective suit design underwent extensive iterations, prototyping failures led to the most valuable improvements. One print error created a 3D to 2D gradient that could be further explored to self-generate thickness variations by controlling material detachment from the print bed. This would speed up design by removing the need for detailed digital modeling. Future materials with reversible shape retention, like shape memory polymers, could allow the suit to be reshaped over time to adapt to changes in the wearer’s body, improving fit and sustainability. Different auxetic patterns can also be tested to optimize shock absorption, flexibility, and comfort, adding new functional layers to the design. While existing tests show auxetic materials absorb energy well, further impact testing specific to falls is needed.
