Spray-On Clothing Opens Door For
Next-Level Tech
When news broke a few years ago that
an experimental spray-on liquid fabric could become wearable clothing, people were wowed by what
sounded more science-fiction than fact. Fast forward a few years and that same
technology is on the cusp of being introduced into our daily lives in the form
of a host of applications that could very well change the face of art, consumer
products, and even conservation.
The company behind this technology
is called Fabrican. Developed by
clothing-designer-turned-chemist Dr. Manel Torres, who was originally looking
for a faster way to produce clothes, the idea came to the self-proclaimed
fashion doctor when he went to a friend’s wedding and saw someone getting
sprayed by silly string, the popular
90s-era toy.
But the real value goes far beyond
fashion. Commercial applications stretch to household products, factories and
industry, healthcare, transportation and art. Right now, the first Fabrican
aerosol cans, aimed at arts and crafts consumers, are on their way to being
marketed to consumers.
Los Angeles based artist Aaron Axelrod calls the cans a mobile
studio. Axelrod, who’s done installations for The Tonight Show,
Coachella and Disney, says he wished he had a tool like this years ago. Instead,
he’s had to use less malleable products such as tile, plastic, paint and
cotton, often heavy to carry and time consuming to apply.
“I wish I had that for those
projects,” he says. “I’m always looking for a universal material that I can do
many different things with, and compact too, where I don’t have to lug around
lots of material in a car. I basically get this one material that I can do so
many things in one… it’s a studio in a can.”
Beyond art, it’s possible this
substance will soon be in hospitals and emergency service vehicles. That’s
because the cans are sealed and sterilized, and could work as bandages or as a
spray-on cast for broken bones. Welcome to the first-aid kit of the future.
With the addition of nanotechnology,
the spray could also become an instant nicotine patch, an oral inoculation or
vaccine. Carrying other elements in the fabric is also an option, meaning UV
protection, mosquito repellent, vitamin supplements, medication, all could be
in the cards. With additives, the fabric could even be fire-proof. And
fragrances can be built in, giving this yet another function in the world of
fashion.
Right now Fabrican is working on
crafting seat covers for the automotive and aircraft industries. The company is
also testing an industrial-sized compression device that could be used to
contain and clean up oil-spills. A fast acting, light, cheap liquid
forming fabric could be a huge impact on that market if it in fact succeeds.
“Obviously we need better ways of
cleaning up spills,” says Richard Heinberg,
senior fellow-in-residence at the Post Carbon Institute. He thinks
the introduction of this tech would be a positive, “assuming the
fabric doesn’t create its own pollution problems,” which include extraction of
raw materials, making of product, deployment, disposal.
Fabrican’s Torres says since the
fabric is made from all natural ingredients, this shouldn’t be an issue. But
until more tests are done, it’s still very much an unknown.
Meanwhile, Torres has big plans for
his first love, fashion. Torres sees his invention on the streets, in
the form of pop-up spray-booths that could create custom clothes for anyone.
“They could then purchase aerosol
products that would allow them to further customize, adapt and mend their
garments, as the mood takes them,” Fabrican representatives told Mashable.
Wearable technology has been getting increasingly popular of late, and
with so many applications, the market could be poised to explode as products
like these get more commercialized. And licensed. Torres is excited for those
prospects.
“Fabrican is an excellent carrier
technology for carbon nanofibres and conductive materials. It’s very much in
tune with this trend.”
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