Kniterate works just like a 3D printer. Choose or create a design and press knit. It’s as simple as that!
With technology giving competition to the speed of light, we always keep a keen eye out for startups that are disrupting our world and our everyday lives through innovation par excellence.
Keeping this spirit of discovery alive, a tech startup from London has promised to replace the activity of knitting or sewing with a machine that can do it just by analysing a design. Kniterate looks like a sewing machine on steroids, which can simply take designs or reference pictures uploaded by users and stitch/knit them up into actual clothes. Kniterate promises to be an affordable, compact and simple solution for those looking to convert digital designs into garments.
Kniterate prototype
The machine was created by UK based Film Direction and Media Design graduate, Gerard Rubio, who watched fashion students struggle with old knitting machines. Kniterate was also selected by HAX, the China-based hardware accelerator and incorporated in November, 2015. After a few iterations, the final version of Kniterate was born in 2016.
Kniterate iterations
The startup recently listed its project on crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, where it managed to collect a whopping $244,558, exceeding its goal of $100,000.
Apart from the self-knitting machine, Kniterate also includes a set of existing designs that can be modified with custom sizes through the company’s web app. Alternatively, users can upload their own designs to create garments of their choice. Users also have an option of choosing the yarn of their preference, or select from the company’s list of tried and tested yarns like wool, cotton, acrylic or silk.
A version of Kniterate's software
The Kniterate software is currently under development and will ship free with the knitting machines. There will be two versions of the software, a browser-based version and a standalone version (Mac and Windows compatible), and files will be loaded onto the machine via an SD card or through USB device.
The recommended retail price for Kniterate is $7,499 (Rs 4,87,847 approx), while backers of the project on Kickstarter can avail multiple discounts if they wish to contribute to the project. Kniterate is best recommended for small fashion houses or individual designers looking to prototype their designs. Personally, I wish I could just get one for home and forget about buying clothes forever!
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Adamya Sharma
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