World's first AI dress is both creepy and cool
Imagine a dress adorned with AI-powered robotic snakes that move on their own. Sounds cool, right? Maybe a little creepy too. Christina Ernst, a software engineer at Google and founder of SheBuildsRobots.org, has unveiled what she terms the "world's first AI dress." The creation, dubbed the "Medusa dress," features robotic snakes programmed to detect faces. Ernst shared a video of her innovative design on Instagram, where it quickly went viral with over 2.9 million views and 1.4 lakh likes.
Details of the AI-infused 'Medusa dress'
The Medusa dress, as described by Ernst, is black and embellished with three golden-colored robotic snakes around the waist and a larger one around the neck. She explained in her video that she had engineered and coded an optional mode for the dress that uses artificial intelligence to detect faces, causing the snake heads to move toward anyone looking at it. Ernst also shared insights into her failed prototypes and how she programmed the snakes to identify faces.
Mixed reactions to Ernst's AI dress
Ernst's Instagram post announcing the completion of her Medusa dress has garnered a variety of responses. Many users praised her innovative project, with one engineer expressing admiration for the effort, time, and money required for such an endeavor. However, not all feedback was positive; one user expressed disappointment over the appearance of the snakes. Responding to both praise and criticism, Ernst acknowledged having higher expectations for the design herself but expressed satisfaction with her trade-offs.
Ernst's design process and future plans
In response to the feedback, Ernst detailed her design process, revealing that she experimented with various materials such as air dry clay, foam, fabric, 3D printing, and embroidery to create the snakes while keeping the dress lightweight. She admitted that she had higher expectations for the design but was ready to conclude this project which she undertook in her spare time. Despite mixed reactions, Ernst remains content with her innovative creation and its trade-offs.
