Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) is proud to announce that Professor David E. Breen, PhD has been named a 2024 Dresden Senior Fellow by the Technical University (TU) of Dresden in Germany.
The Dresden Fellowship Program, which invites international scholars to conduct joint research projects and teach at TU Dresden, aims to foster cooperation, and initiate long-term collaboration strategies for institutions and project groups at TU Dresden and its DRESDEN-concept partners. The program funds early-career researchers as Dresden Junior Fellows and established researchers as Dresden Senior Fellows for periods ranging from two weeks to six months. The focus is on attracting scientific talent and enhancing international research cooperation.
During his fellowship in Fall 2024, Breen will pursue his joint research project, titled "3D-Scan to Knit: Digitization for the Creation of Customized Knitted Garments," in collaboration with TU Dresden's Institute of Textile Machinery and High-Performance Material Technology (ITM). This project addresses the challenges in producing customized form-fitting garments, essential for various biomedical applications. Examples include prosthetic liners and pressure- and temperature-sensing socks for detecting early signs of peripheral neuropathy in diabetics.
These garments require precise measurements for optimal health outcomes; traditional methods of producing such garments involve manual measurements and custom pattern creation, a time-consuming process requiring skill and experience. However, 3D body-scanning technologies offer an alternative approach, providing accurate and reproducible physical measurements with less effort. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing of high precision bodywear, particularly for tight-fitting garments and textile devices.
Initial research at TU Dresden's ITM has demonstrated a proof-of-concept workflow from scan to geometry to knitting instructions, showing the feasibility of using 3D scanning to create customized knitted artifacts. However, the current algorithms only allow for simple, cup-like structures. Breen’s research aims to extend this work to model and produce knitting instructions for more complex geometries, such as knitted gloves and garments with arm and head holes. Expanding the range of body parts that can be scanned, reconstructed and knitted will significantly broaden the applications of this technology in the biomedical field.
Founded in 1828, TU Dresden is one of Germany's oldest technology colleges and one of the country's eleven Universities of Excellence. It is renowned for promoting cutting-edge research, creating outstanding conditions for young scholars, and enhancing international research cooperation.
Breen's fellowship and collaborative research at TU Dresden will contribute to these goals, fostering innovative developments in textile technology and biomedical applications. Following the Dresden fellowship, Breen will commence his research as a US Fulbright Scholar at the Inria Centre at the University of Grenoble Alpes in Grenoble, France during the 2024-25 academic year.