This research aims to characterize how light passes through knitted fabrics to project dynamic patterns onto surfaces, inspired by the adaptive skin of cephalopods. By studying how fabric stretching alters light transmission, this project seeks to lay the groundwork for smart, flexible shading materials. Such responsive materials could replace energy-heavy mechanical blinds or help recreate precise lighting conditions for agricultural permaculture and environmental restoration.

To collect precise experimental data, I designed a specialized test setup using motorized mechanisms to stretch knitted fabrics under a controlled light source representing the sun. Using cameras and optical sensors, I measured changes in light intensity and analyzed the resulting visual motifs.

The results demonstrated that the direction in which the fabric is pulled has the greatest influence on the overall light passing through. Additionally, the analysis revealed that certain lighting conditions, such as large areas of dim light, cannot be produced using simple stretching alone.

The next steps for this project involve building a simulation model and expanding testing to various knitting patterns. Ultimately, future work aims to build a two-way mapping between fabric properties and shading outcomes.

If you are interested in my research process, you want to have more details on how the rig works, or want more information on how it was built, make sure to check out my report.