Husband-wife electrical engineering team Mihri and Cengiz Ozkan, professors at the University of California, Riverside, have created a 3D-printed bikini that filters pollutants out of the water surrounding the wearer. This eco-friendly swimwear was developed in collaboration with design firm Eray Carbajo, and won the top prize at the Reshape 15 Wearable Technology Competition.
The bikini's base layer comprises 3D-printed elastic netting which conforms to the wearer's contours, while embedded into that netting are opaque inserts made from a special material dubbed Sponge. This substance is adept at absorbing contaminants and can fill up on 25 times its own weight on pollutants without becoming saturated with water.
As exciting as a pollutant-filtering 3D-printed bikini is, the technology could also be applied to other clothing articles worn in water, as well as airplanes and satellites.
Pollution-Absorbing Bikinis
This 3D-Printed Bikini Cleans the Water As You Swim
Trend Themes
1. Pollution-absorbing Clothing - Developing eco-friendly clothing that filters pollutants could revolutionize the fashion industry.
2. 3D Printing for Wearable Tech - The use of 3D printing to create wearable tech like the pollution-absorbing bikini has numerous potential applications.
3. Materials Innovation for Sustainable Fashion - Creating new materials, like the Sponge material used in the bikini, could disrupt the fashion industry by making sustainable fashion more accessible.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - The fashion industry could use the technology behind the pollution-absorbing bikini to create other eco-friendly clothing items.
2. Aerospace - The technology used in the bikini could be adapted for use in airplanes and satellites to reduce air pollution.
3. Environmental Conservation - Incorporating pollutant-filtering materials into clothing could be an innovative way to reduce pollution in bodies of water.