Krishma Singal and her team at Georgia Tech are revolutionizing the field of knitting by using a combination of experiments and simulations to understand the mechanics behind knitted materials. They have taken this age-old craft and added a mathematical foundation, allowing for the programming of knit fabric response. Through their research, they have discovered that simple adjustments in fabric pattern designs can drastically change the fabric’s elasticity. This breakthrough has implications for advanced manufacturing in fields such as wearable electronics and soft robotics. Their work, published in Nature Communications, showcases the potential for knitting to become a powerful tool in engineering applications.
https://research.gatech.edu/unraveling-physics-knitting