The i.Dummy
Robot Meets Mannequin
A Professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Institute of Textiles and Clothing has developed a dress form than can shift from a size 2 to a size 12—and back again—with the flip of a switch.
Professor Allan Chan says the i.Dummy—dress forms are called dummies in Hong Kong—could be a boon to apparel manufacturers, as well as custom design house. Retailers and e-commerce sites could also use them for displaying merchandise.
According to Smithsonian magazine, the gray plastic dress form can be adjusted according to specific measurements input into a computer program which then relay the measurements to tiny motors within the i.Dummy. Professor Chan is also working with engineers at the university to develop pressure sensors to measure how tight an acticle of clothing is. Prices range from $12,000 for a torso or $16,000 for a whole body dress form, according to the Smithsonian story, which has more information on Chan’s development of the i.Dummy
