From Experimentation to Innovation: Integration of Soft Robotics and Sensing in E-Textiles (Talk)
- Adriana Cabrera
- Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences
This talk explores the prototyping of e-textiles and the integration of Soft Robotics systems, grounded in experimentation within digital fabrication spaces and Open Innovation environments like Fab Labs. By leveraging CNC fabrication methods and soft material manipulation, this approach reduces barriers between high and low tech, making experimentation more accessible. It also enables the integration of pneumatic actuators, sensors, and data collection systems into e-textiles and wearable technologies. The presentation will highlight how these developments open up new possibilities for creating smart textiles with soft robotic capabilities. Finally, it aims to inspire discussions on the application of haptics and actuators, such as HASEL, in wearables and e-textiles, fostering co-creation of future solutions that blend these innovative technologies with design.
Biography: Adriana Cabrera is an Industrial and textile designer working at the intersection of art, technology, and innovation. She is a visiting researcher at FabLab Kamp-Lintfort, Germany, at the Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences. Her work focuses on digital fabrication, textiles, and sustainable manufacturing processes. As a global lecturer in soft robotics at Fabricademy, she is dedicated to expanding access and lowering barriers to research. Originally from Colombia, Adriana holds a background in Industrial Design, complemented by an MFA in Media Art and Design from Bauhaus University Weimar and an MA in Surface and Textile Design from Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin, focusing on materials research. She completed the FabAcademy at MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, where her final project, MyOrthotics, explored open innovation in design for disabilities. This led her to co-found FabCare, an initiative to make health and care more inclusive and innovative. As part of the German research project MakeOpaedics, she and her team earned an honorary prize for developing a foot monitoring orthosis system designed to reduce the risk of amputation for people with diabetes and Charcot foot.
