Adobe unveils futuristic ‘digital dress’ that changes patterns on the go

Novel dress allows wearers to refresh their look ‘in a moment’, researcher says

Software company Adobe unveiled a new futuristic “digital dress” that lets wearers change patterns on its surface on the fly with the click of a button.

The dress, created under Adobe’s “Project Primrose”, is made of sequins which are “reflective light-diffuser modules” built using liquid crystals such as those in smart lighting.

Researchers say the sequins are basically tiny screens built using smart materials.

The dress was unveiled for the first time for the audience at Adobe’s MAX conference last week with the software company describing it as bringing “fabric to life”.

Video from the conference showed Adobe researcher Christine Dierk wearing the strapless outfit, which appeared like an average cocktail dress on first impression, but the patterns on it begin to shift immediately with the touch of a remote button.

“Unlike traditional clothing, which is static, Primrose allows me to refresh my look in a moment,” the Adobe scientist said while demonstrating that its colors can go from light to dark in a moment.

The researcher-turned-model also showed that the dress not only had static changes, but also animated designs with patterns fading in and out.

Ms Dierk, who not only designed the dress but also stitched it herself, demonstrated that the outfit will even respond to movement.

Researchers say the dress is built using “reflective-backed polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)” a material commonly used in smart windows.

“This low-power non-emissive material can be cut to any shape, and dynamically diffuses light,” scientists wrote in a study presented at a tech conference last year, but it remains unclear how heavy the dress can actually get.

“Designers can layer this technology into clothing, furniture, and other surfaces to unlock infinite style possibilities – such as the ability to download and wear the latest design from a favorite designer,” Adobe noted.

They said the high-tech sequins are also used for smaller products part of Project Primrose including a handbag and a canvas.

“We hope this work inspires future designers of flexible displays,” scientists said.