Wednesday, February 1, 2023
SCIENMAG: Latest Science and Health News
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag - Latest science news from science magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home SCIENCE NEWS Chemistry AND Physics

Software automatically generates knitting instructions for 3-D shapes

March 29, 2018
in Chemistry AND Physics
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
IMAGE

Credit: Carnegie Mellon University/Michael Henninger

PITTSBURGH–Carnegie Mellon University computer scientists have developed a system that can translate a wide variety of 3-D shapes into stitch-by-stitch instructions that enable a computer-controlled knitting machine to automatically produce those shapes.

Researchers in the Carnegie Mellon Textiles Lab have used the system to produce a variety of plush toys and garments. What's more, James McCann, assistant professor in the Robotics Institute and leader of the lab, said this ability to generate knitting instructions without need of human expertise could make on-demand machine knitting possible.

McCann's vision is to use the same machines that routinely crank out thousands of knitted hats, gloves and other apparel to produce customized pieces one at a time or in small quantities. Gloves, for instance, might be designed to precisely fit a customer's hands. Athletic shoe uppers, sweaters and hats might have unique color patterns or ornamentation.

"Knitting machines could become as easy to use as 3-D printers," McCann said.

That's in stark contrast to the world of knitting today.

"Now, if you run a floor of knitting machines, you also have a department of engineers," said McCann, who noted that garment designers rarely have the specialized expertise necessary to program the machines. "It's not a sustainable way of doing one-off customized pieces.

In their latest work, to be presented this summer at SIGGRAPH 2018, the Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Vancouver, Canada, McCann and his colleagues developed a method for transforming 3-D meshes — a common method for modeling 3-D shapes — into instructions for V-bed knitting machines.

These widely used machines manipulate loops of yarn with hook-shaped needles, which lie in parallel needle beds angled toward each other in an inverted V shape. The machines are highly capable, but are limited in comparison with hand knitting, said Vidya Narayanan, a Ph.D. student in computer science.

The CMU algorithm takes these constraints into account, she said, producing instructions for patterns that work within the limits of the machine and reduce the risk of yarn breaks or jams.

A front-end design system such as this is common in 3-D printing and in computer-driven machine shops, but not in the knitting world, McCann said. Likewise, 3-D printing and machine shops use common languages and file formats to run their equipment, while knitting machines use a variety of languages and tools that are specific to particular brands of knitting machines. McCann led an earlier effort to create a common knitting format, called Knitout, which is capable of being implemented with any brand of knitting machine.

Further work is needed to make on-demand knitting a reality. For instance, the system now only produces smooth knitted cloth, without the patterned stitching that can make knitted garments distinctive. The knitting ecosystem also needs to be expanded, with design tools that will work with any machine. But progress could be rapid at this point, McCann said.

"The knitting hardware is already really good," he explained. "It's the software that needs a little push. And software can improve rapidly because we can iterate so much faster."

In addition to McCann and Narayanan, the research team included Jessica Hodgins, professor of computer science and robotics; Lea Albaugh, a Ph.D. student in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute; and Stelian Coros, a faculty member at ETH Zurich and an adjunct professor of robotics at CMU.

The research paper, along with a video, is available on GitHub.

###

Media Contact

Byron Spice
[email protected]
412-268-9068
@CMUScience

http://www.cmu.edu

Share25Tweet16Share4ShareSendShare
  • blank

    Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

    548 shares
    Share 219 Tweet 137
  • Mount Sinai launches phase 1 US trial of NDV-HXP-S, an Egg-based investigational COVID-19 vaccine, in healthy adults previously immunized against COVID-19

    67 shares
    Share 27 Tweet 17
  • Seawater split to produce green hydrogen

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Dogs’ average age at cancer diagnosis is associated with size, sex, breed

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Increase in marine heatwaves expected to affect organisms at bottom of food chain, study suggests

    66 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 17
  • Microalgae could be the future of sustainable superfood in a rapidly changing world, study finds

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
ADVERTISEMENT

About us

We bring you the latest science news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Latest NEWS

New study shows snacking on mixed tree nuts may impact cardiovascular risk factors and increase serotonin

Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

Hydrogen peroxide from tea and coffee residue: New pathway to sustainability

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 205 other subscribers

© 2022 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US

© 2022 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In