Revolutionary Knitting Machine Creates 3D Masterpieces

An innovative knitting machine prototype has been developed to produce solid, knitted shapes, allowing users to add stitches in multiple directions – forward, backward, and diagonal – enabling the creation of a wide range of shapes and adding rigidity to specific parts of the object.

Unlike traditional knitting techniques that result in a 2D stitch sheet, this proof-of-concept machine, created by researchers at Cornell University and Carnegie Mellon University, operates akin to a 3D printer by building up solid shapes through horizontal layers of stitches.

“We have demonstrated that it is not only achievable, but due to the stitch attachment method, it provides us with significant flexibility in material control,” said François Guimbretière, an information science professor at Cornell. “The level of expression is similar to that of a 3D printer.”

Presented at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology in Busan, Korea on September 30, the work titled “Using an Array of Needles to Create Solid Knitted Shapes” was introduced by Guimbretière and co-author Victor Guimbretière.

The concept of solid knitting piqued Guimbretière’s interest while experimenting with a knitting machine in the lab of co-author Scott Hudson, a human-computer interaction professor at Carnegie Mellon University, in 2016. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Guimbretière constructed the prototype from scratch in his basement, primarily utilizing 3D-printed components.

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The machine features a bed of knitting needles arranged in a 6×6 block, each consisting of a 3D-printed symmetrical double hook attached to a brass support tube. The dual movement capability of the double hook’s front and back sections allows the machine to knit or purl, depending on the initial loop picked up. To manage the machine, the researchers devised a code library for each stitch type, enabling program generation for different products.

With the knitting head able to maneuver directly over the needle array, the design offers exceptional flexibility for creating intricate knitted structures. Previous solid knitting machines lacked this adaptability, imposing significant restrictions on the shapes they could produce, as per the researchers.

Initial demonstrations include successfully knitting C and pyramid-shaped objects, showcasing the machine’s capacity for crafting complex shapes and overhangs.

Although the current prototype operates at a slow pace, encounters loops dropping and occasional yarn entanglements, Guimbretière intends to enhance the machine’s robustness. Scaling up the design by incorporating a larger needle bed should be straightforward, he noted.

Enhancements to this approach could find utility in medical applications, such as developing structures to support the growth of artificial ligaments or veins, remarked Guimbretière. Solid knitting offers the flexibility to create variations in thickness and stiffness within the final product, potentially aiding in accurately replicating biological structures.

Amritansh Kwatra, now a Ph.D. student in the information science field at Cornell Tech, also contributed to the study.