Christina Ernst, a Google software engineer and the founder of She Builds Robots, has stunned the internet with the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) dress. Named the Medusa dress, this unique black attire features golden robotic snakes all over the outfit. Ernst shared the process and even showed its evolution from its initial failed concepts. The dress includes three smaller snakes around the waist and a large one around the neck, all moving in sync with AI technology. In the footage, she also demonstrated how AI tracks human faces, which helps in moving snake’s head in real-time. The unique combination has captured the internet’s attention, making Ernst’s work a hot topic among technology and fashion enthusiasts.
Sharing the process, Ernst said, “I engineered this robotic snake dress and it’s finally done. I coded an optional mode that uses artificial intelligence to detect faces and move the snake head towards the person looking at you. So maybe this is the world’s first AI dress? Surveillance state, but make it fashion. I took inspiration from automata toys to minimize the number of motors I needed to solder and to keep the dress light. I learned to generate TinkerCAD models for the snake bodies, then I 3D printed them, spray painted them and added a rotating motor. I confirmed my design would work on a moving body with the help of some cardboard prototypes.”
“I polished up the code, finished designing motor mounts that could be sewn to fabric and move with my body and then, of course, designed and sewed the actual dress, which was just as much math as the engineering. All the wiring and microcontroller brain went in a zippered pocket in the back. There’s a lot I would improve about this dress but thank you for all your support on this fun project,” Christina Ernst added. Sharing the video, the engineer wrote, “My robotic Medusa dress is finally done.”
Reacting to the post, a user wrote, “Watch a designer try to steal this and have it at the next Met gala.”
Another shared, “You said there’s a lot your would improve, but literally the only thing I could imagine improving is more snakes. Thigh I’m sure that would be a weight issue. It’s beautiful as is.”
“Okay, this is INSANELY IMPRESSIVE. You’re wildly skilled, this is the coolest right/ left brain crossover ever,” a comment read.
Another wrote, “You’re so amazing. So smart and innovative. I think you did really well and I’m sure you’d even do better in future.”
An individual shared, “Engineer meets fashion.”
One more added, “This is gorgeous and your determination and creativity are astonishing.”
Since the Google engineer posted the video on Instagram, it has garnered over 3.1 million views.
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