Posts | Comments

Planet Arduino

Archive for the ‘CNC Knitting Machine’ Category

Irene Wolf is the owner a Passap E6000, a computerized knitting machine which features pair of needle beds, and decided it was time to give it an upgrade. In particular, she wanted the ability to control its rear needle bed automatically in a similar manner to the way the front is normally operated for extra functionality.

To accomplish this non-trivial task, she’s using a Raspberry Pi 3 as the new controller, along with two Arduino M0 boards to directly handle the machine’s actions via interrupts.

She’s also driving the device’s motor with a frequency converter and an Uno, as the original control board was broken. Plenty of details are available in Wolf’s write-up and on GitHub, and you can even see it in action (plus a resulting knitted sock) in the video below.

Why head to the store when you could simply create your outfits right at home with the touch of a button? That’s the idea behind London-based startup Kniterate, who has developed what they’re calling “the 3D printer for knitwear.”

The system features Photoshop-like software that enables Makers to easily design patterns using various templates, which are then imported over to the Arduino Mega-driven machine to knit socks, scarves, sweaters, ties, beanies, and other garments. According to the team, they are in the process of developing an online platform that’ll allow you to sketch and share your wardrobe with an entire community.

Kniterate, which was recently introduced at HAX’s demo day, is an evolution of founder Gerard Rubio’s Arduino-controlled OpenKnit project. His vision is to one day democratize textile manufacturing, and will take the next step in that journey when he launches the new age machine on Kickstarter in September. Until then, head over to its website here or watch Tested’s Maker Faire video below!

 



  • Newsletter

    Sign up for the PlanetArduino Newsletter, which delivers the most popular articles via e-mail to your inbox every week. Just fill in the information below and submit.

  • Like Us on Facebook