News & Blog
Innovative, intelligent, interactive: MotorSkins is a pioneering start-up in the field of shape-changing soft-robotic textiles. The Berlin-based company produces garments that help muscles move without any electronics such as batteries or motors – making them a pioneer in the industry. The first item produced is a compression garment for the legs.
The special feature: the textiles are being stimulated by the movement of the users thanks to the new design and the innovative material. This creates a cycle: when the foot of the user compresses one part of the circuit against the floor (during a step), the pressure and volume are transferred to the active part, which powers it.
As an interface between sport, wellness and health, the start-up creates products that can be used medically, for relaxation or to support movement, depending on requirements. Currently, the young, international team at MotorSkins is working on textiles that are attached to the joints to make running easier – either for normal movements or also for illnesses. Inspired by nature, made for people.
»MotorSkins technology bridges the functionality of soft-robotics with the versatility of textiles. We are a development platform for applications that explore human-machine interaction. Our technology creates a new paradigm of innovation in materials and sustainability where smart active elements are made without integrating electronics or batteries.«
Juan Opitz-Silva
Modularity is not a new concept. For decades, it has shaped architecture, furniture and industrial design. Applying it to soft textiles, however, opens up an entirely new discussion.
Creativity and curiosity have always been our driving force. Our work evolves through prototypes—never finished, always raising new questions about materials, processes, and possibilities.
Both the fashion and textile industry often celebrates creativity. Yet many of the industry’s creative decisions are made long before a designer ever begins designing. Colour being one of them. The thing is, by the time a designer selects yarn, someone else has already determined the available colours, sequences and combinations. Choice exists, but only within boundaries.
“Through hands-on experimentation, I explore the potential of new surfaces and alternative forms of leather, aiming to reconnect human life with the natural world as an interconnected fabric.”
