'We figured out a way to make it work': St. Clair College to host robotic fashion show
Fearing design students wouldn’t be able to showcase their work for a second year, two St. Clair College professors teamed up to put together an event with a futuristic twist.
Restrictions don’t allow for real models, so fashion design program coordinator Elaine Chatwood had to get creative.
“The students, this is how they get jobs,” she says. “This goes into their portfolios.”
Several ideas were considered including a conveyor belt or zip lines, but they didn’t meet the mark.
Then Chatwood landed on the idea to have a mannequin on an autonomous guided vehicle.
“In the industry we call a dress form a Judy. The name of the robot is a Boxer so we called it Judyboxer,” she says.
Chatwood teamed up with St. Clair College’s robotics coordinator Al Douglas.
“We figured out a way to make it work,” he says.
Douglas says he has never modelled, but was quick to figure out how to guide Judyboxer down the runway with his PlayStation controller.
“I’m basically controlling it like it’s a robot car for today, but normally it would be capable of being programmed to do all these motions autonomously on its own.
Costume changes are required as 18 mannequins will be modelling more than 60 outfits, including 13 from the 2020 class and all will be judged.
The first place winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Telio Fabrics in Montreal, and because fashion from the 2020 class was included in the show, the St. Clair Alumni Association has stepped up and will give away $1,000 to the winner of that group.
The show runs on the St. Clair College website June 25.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.