Anouk Wipprecht creates new open source robotic dress with Elegoo

Anouk Wipprecht’s newest Robotic Scale dress, created in collaboration with Elegoo, blends aesthetics with responsive interactivity and, for the first time for one of the designer’s creations, open-source accessibility. Equipped with eight 9g servo motors, the dress features a proximity sensor embedded in the neckpiece. This sensor detects movement and triggers the servos, creating a dynamic interaction between the garment and its environment. Its modular design allows creators to attach various lightweight components, such as 3D printed elements or feathers, using servo-arm holders.

The dress system is engineered for versatility. Modular servo holders can be popped into place, sewn into fabric, or glued for added stability on flexible materials. Wipprecht designed these components to distribute weight evenly, ensuring comfort and durability while maintaining the garment’s aesthetic appeal. This modularity not only supports creative experimentation but also simplifies the integration of robotics into textiles for creators of all skill levels.

Wipprecht designed the dress components using Onshape, a professional-grade CAD platform. Working alongside the Onshape team and engineer Chuck Pitzer, she developed a system that balances mechanical durability with design flexibility. This collaboration resulted in a robust and adaptable system suitable for various prototyping needs, making it an ideal tool for both professionals and hobbyists.

Open-source accessibility

To democratize access to FashionTech, Wipprecht has open-sourced the robotic dress project on her Instructables page. Creators can access detailed step-by-step instructions for 3D printing, assembling, and customizing their own robotic garments. Elegoo’s affordable Neptune series 3D printers were used to produce the components, showcasing how high-quality results can be achieved with equipment priced between $180 and $400. This affordability ensures that makers of all backgrounds can experiment with robotics and textiles without financial barriers.

Wipprecht is also fostering a remix culture, encouraging creators to share their adaptations and innovations online. By tagging #opensourcescaledress and reaching out via her Instagram (@anoukwipprecht), users can showcase their creations and contribute to the growing community of FashionTech enthusiasts.

“I am an educator next to my own work, and the work that I do for clients,” Anouk said. “When I am working with students, often what happens is that in the concept phase, they come up with great ideas on how to connect certain electronics to fabrics, but often when they start to produce the prototype: they run out of time – and the servo-motors are mounted to the fabrics with metal thread. I saw this multiple times in my 15+ years as an educator. So then I start to design parts that my students can use and not have to worry about things like the weight of the motor and even the distribution of that weight – as a design like this solves that. As a designer /engineer – you are always thinking of how you can use design to make certain processes better.”

Inspiring the future of ethical FashionTech

Beyond empowering individual creators, this project aims to inspire larger shifts in the fashion industry. Wipprecht’s long-term vision includes developing 3D printed feathers to offer an ethical alternative to real feathers, which are commonly used in couture. Most feathers are not ethically sourced (not cruelty-free) so 3D printed feathers can therefore be interesting for the fashion industry, which often uses a lot of non-ethical sources of feathers in couture. “I only haven’t found a 3D printer that could print minuscule enough to still create the perceived fluidity of real feathers, for example, Ostrichfeathers.

Through initiatives like the “Female Empowerment Program,” Wipprecht and Elegoo are encouraging young women and girls to embrace digital design, robotics, and 3D printing. By combining affordability, open-source resources, and educational outreach, they aim to make FashionTech an accessible and inclusive field for the next generation of innovators.

“The female empowerment program that we are launching with Elegoo is focused on creating an intuitive ecosystem – empowering women and girls into 3D printing and fostering innovation,” Wipprecht said. “We are trying to do this to both have more female role models highlighted in the field and also create a structure of physical and online workshops, talk sessions, discussions and hands-on DIY projects that people can learn from. It will be launched during Formnext this year.

“Women – Wipprecht continued – have a pivotal role in the evolving landscape of STEM and 3D printing. In an industry where innovation and creativity are paramount, women have been instrumental in shaping the future of 3D printing technology. But within every field, promoting gender equality and inclusivity in the technology sector, especially within the 3D printing industry is still needed. We are not close to 50-50% equal gender in these fields. Every individual, regardless of gender, should have equal opportunities to thrive and contribute to the advancement of technology. So our fight is still to inspire and empower future generations of female innovators through all means possible. And to encourage more women to pursue careers in technology, thereby enriching the industry with diverse perspectives and talents. It’s a really fun field, and I hope that more females will join in after seeing the possibilities of what you can create in the AM world.”