Vitalix
In extreme environments, individuals face critical challenges that threaten both their safety and performance. Current solutions, such as heavy protective clothing or layers, are static and often inadequate.
Vitalix is mechanical skin is equipped with oscillating fins that move back and forth, actively dissipating heat or retaining warmth based on the user’s needs. As the environment changes, the skin adapts instantly, providing a tactile experience where the fins visibly adjust, offering reassurance of its protective capabilities.
The design covers the body with a lightweight and flexible structure, ensuring full functionality without compromising mobility or comfort. Creating a seamless integration into the user’s daily life.
Students: Daniel Abed, William Parkes, Mieke Van De Pasch, Khyan Patel & Julia Rodrigo Cano
The first few weeks we mostly focused on the skin and the making of it. By experimenting with cardboard, to liquid latex and finally ending up with silicon.
To get the scales more into the skin, instead of on top of it, for a more skin look, we had to cut the silicon in some places. However, silicon tears easy when it has cuts. To solve this problem we added some cloth, to
make it stronger.
Lastly, to make the sleeve more aesthetically pleasing, we changed the wiring and 3D printed a more sturdy box, for the Itsy-bitsy, so you could attach it to a pocket of your pants instead of it being attached to your upper arm.
To give our costumers a better view on how the skin would look on the whole body. We ordered a mannequin, cut a lot of scales on 0.28 PP with the laser cutter and glued them on the body with the use of hot glue.
First we made a firepit for this, showing the customer that they can put their hand and arm through fire. However, the heat of the firepit didn’t really come through, so we decided to make a new thing, and also installing it with scaffolding on the application device.