Design of the Week: Caress of the Gaze

By on October 10th, 2015 in Design

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This week’s selection is the astonishing “Caress of the Gaze” by artist Behnaz Farahi.

We say “astonishing” because it truly is. This is a 3D printed fashion item, but it’s almost alive. It’s a wearable composed of numerous tiny articulated segments, each of which can move. 

But how they move is even more interesting: the “Caress” includes a camera used to recognize the gaze of nearby individuals. Upon such detection, the segments “respond accordingly with life-like behavior”. This video shows the 3D printed piece in action: 

According to Fahahi, the wearable is able to sense and react to “age, gender, expression and gaze”.

Inside the wearable is more than just 3D printed components: there are electronics as well as the camera. The movements are executed by “muscle wire” that’s strategically woven through the wearable segments. This shaped alloy distorts when electrically heated slightly, and that’s how the segments move. It’s all automatic: the wearer has nothing to do but look good. 

The piece was developed using Autodesk software and printed on Stratasys Objet 3D printers in high resolution. 

Here’s how Farahi describes the piece in our exclusive video:

Want to learn more about Caress of the Gaze and artist Behnaz Farahi? Check out her site at the link below. 

Via Behnaz Farahi

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!