![]() They contain valuable non-renewable resources which are then just discarded or exported to developing countries as E-waste. This is a big advantage because E-textiles can rarely withstand more than 20 wash cycles. “MotorSkins’ reactive textiles don’t need any embedded electronics. That’s why we bring textiles to life.” MotorSkins’ vision is to build a lab for textile-based soft robotics for everyday use In simple words, what is the difference between MotorSkins and e-textiles? ![]() Our vision is to build a lab for textile-based soft robotics for everyday use. By focusing on the material itself, a textile-based metamaterial, we can create passive-active solutions for daily life such as specialized active garments and textile haptic interfaces. With our reactive textiles, we can bridge this complexity gap. They serve their purpose wonderfully, but they can only go so far. In the field of orthotics and assistive technology in particular, the only affordable products for everyday use are mostly completely passive ones, such as compression garments, soft supports, canes, walkers and so on. Because of prohibitive prices and high complexity of the existing solutions and use cases, most people end up using very simple solutions in everyday life. This is where the complexity gap comes in. More flexible, everyday applications would require a drastic increase in computing power and energy storage capabilities. There are already very sophisticated machines, such as exoskeletons, capable of helping people in different aspects of their lives but they remain highly complex and expensive, often focused on one specific task. The main challenge is what we call the complexity gap. And while the latter seems like a more simple, achievable concept, the fact is we are not closer to having them. Either as highly futuristic machines straight out of sci-fi, or more as daily companions that make your life easier. People have fantasized about robots for a long time. “We want to build a more inclusive society where no one is left behind. The result is a holistic and novel approach to everyday problems.” Bending actuator sample using MotorSkins’ reactive textiles Why MotorSkins, why focus on textiles with embedded fluidics for human-machine interaction? ![]() Our team is a good mixture of science, engineering, business and user-centered design, with expertise in the fields of medical devices, material science, physical chemistry, and business development. Moreover, our design principles have the potential to extend into related areas, such as augmented capacities, assistance for the elderly, and rehabilitation. We believe that our idea is simple but powerful and capable of changing the way we address assistive technologies and disabilities. ![]() The innovation lies in making use of gravity and fluidics as the driving forces behind our system. The aim was to develop a novel assistive device based on research conducted on biological systems at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, bridging the gap between science and design. The idea started in the context of the Cluster of Excellence Bild, Wissen, Gestaltung, at the Humboldt Universität zu-Berlin with Facundo’s master’s thesis. “MotorSkins produces textile-based wearable robots for everyday use. MotorSkins Founding Team What is MotorSkins? How did the journey for an innovation lab for soft-robotics begin? In this interview with DesignWanted, the MotorSkins team explained the design behind this metamaterial, its purpose, and its multiple uses, as well as possible future applications and collaborations within the scientific and commercial world. With an infinite world of applications, MotorSkins growing portfolio ranges from sports to medical, to home applications and beyond. The research behind this metamaterial uses bioinspired principles to make assistive technology more energy efficient, where the wearable soft robots are powered only by the user’s own movement. Without requiring an external battery or motor, MotorSkins textiles tackle muscle weakness and disability through specialized active garments and revolutionize human-machine interaction through haptics and more intuitive interfaces. By integrating soft robotics into textiles, MotorSkins bridges the gap between science and design with a novel metamaterial based on fluidic circuits and material arrangements. ![]()
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