A STORY OF TALENT: Student doing partnership thesis at Sant’Anna School Biorobotics Istitute incorporates fashion into wearable technology

Fashionable wearable technology is a new concept that is predicted to be attractive to consumers even if incorporates inspirations from the most unexpected connections. Technology companies are pushing the limits on innovation and creative ambition to make the wearable more sensor integrated, accessible and fashionable.

The project carried out by Federica Barsetti a student from the Istituto Modartech Pontedera who is doing her partnership thesis at the Sant’Anna School Biorobotics Institute, combines scientific research and fashion design. Federica presented her collection named Mana (Hawaiian word meaning inner-strength/power), an electronic bracelet and a sensorized glove at the Modartech Digital Fashion Show, uncovering different ways to fit wearable technology into the aesthetics industry to appeal a broader audience.

“My collection is showcasing how wearables can have an impact on fashion design – said Federica Barsetti – My idea was to develop wearable sensorized garments so users can experience feelings of spiritual well-being in the way they can reduce tension and anxiety for healing through the Tibetan bell vibrations.”

Federica Barsetti is working with Leonardo Cappello, a postdoctoral researcher and Rebecca Baldi, who is writing her thesis at the Biorobotics Institute:
“My thesis is leading to partnerships between technology institutions and fashion designers – continued Federica Barsetti – We are working on gloves, bracelets and wristbands capable of delivering vibrotactile feedbacks that are currently implemented for therapeutic applications as they can enable hours of stimulation inside and outside a clinical environment. In fact, we are trying to address wearability and (fashion) design challenges for the development of future interfaces as they are driving the next evolution of the wearable market.”

The thesis work is taking advantage of fashion and technology collaborations started in 2019 between the Biorobotics Institute and the Istituto Modartech. Results of current work developed by researchers Leonardo Cappello, Andrea Mannini and Vito Monaco show that wearables are revealing new potential in many different areas including the evolving fashion designs.