IMPACT COMMUNICATION
AND INNOVATION
AND INNOVATION
At 24, Cairê Moreira has already founded his tech company, Genyz. Instead of creating a new technology, the MBI Advanced Industry—Fashion 4.0 graduate found a way to perform digital scanning to map 3D objects using the Face ID functionality implemented in the new iPhone X. "The manufacturer intended to create a mobile version of the Microsoft Kinect for the iOS platform. This functionality is commonly used in the 3D printing, architecture, gaming, and augmented reality industries. What I did was apply it to the fashion segment to solve clothing pattern-making problems," he says.
In other words, Genyz offers a body-mapping service so that custom measurements can be taken, allowing the individual to have access to clothing created to their exact specifications. Although it is a proposal that aims to be accessible to people, since it is a mobile app, Cairê notes that the price of an iPhone X is still very high in Brazil. Therefore, the solutions offered by his company are, first, to schedule an appointment at the studio for the scan to be done, or the client can take two photos in 12 o'clock and 5 o'clock positions with their phone, and with the help of a recently created algorithm, Cairê can extract the measurements. "For the corporate sector, the service is not yet available. Our intention is to continue the testing and validation process before we share the knowledge and technologies," he explains.
Furthermore, the technology that Cairê has been developing and refining is also a first step toward a future where we may no longer need to go to a clothing store or buy pre-made models online. With the ability to map our body measurements with precision, the technology also connects to 3D printing, meaning we could, therefore, start printing our own clothes at home and, ultimately, every day. "I am very enthusiastic about 3D printing. I follow study groups in Spain that are more advanced in the development of 3D-printed fabrics, and I also have my own projects that I intend to start testing next year," reveals Cairê.
For him, the future of fashion is indeed in 3D printing, but he goes even further by thinking about the application of this technology in space exploration. "It will be necessary to create things in space, due to launch weight issues. Not to mention that there are huge problems with space debris, so 3D printing technology helps because it is easily recyclable. If a garment, for example, suffers any damage, it is easy to reuse its material," he explains.
But while he was still studying 3D animation at Melies nearly two years ago, Cairê had an idea that combined his intention to work with 3D mapping and the culture of digital influence. According to him, creating a character and the images that make up her narrative content was extremely difficult, as it involved various modeling, configuration, and rendering processes that would take days. However, upon coming into contact with Lil MiquelaandShudu, two virtual influencers who have gathered over 1 million followers on their Instagram profiles, Cairê discovered new creation methods and software that are much faster and yield even more realistic results. "It was from the moment I understood their technique that I was able to create my character, Mia."
To define her, Cairê first understood which audience he wanted to reach and what their interests would be. After collecting this information, he was then able to outline the physical characteristics, aspirations, fears, and strengths of the character, who today already has her own Instagram account. "After this process, I created the character in 3D and the environment where she will spend most of her time. The next steps are just to finalize the development of her empathy map and her narrative."
Just like the company behind the influencer Lil Miquela, Cairê is creating the first virtual influencer in Brazil and also placing her in interaction with the real world. Last week, during the launch of the Design Fiction e-book, we had the opportunity to learn a little more about the process behind the development of this overlap between the virtual and the real, and also a little more about Mia's story. "She is half-alien, half-human. She is coming from space to better understand human beings and teach them how to better deal with the new technologies that are emerging, such as robotics," says Cairê.
And the plans for Mia are many. More than just a virtual influencer on Instagram, Cairê plans to make her one of his coworkers at Genyz, thus incorporating other technologies, such as artificial intelligence for chatbots, which will take his project to an even more ambitious level than what is already seen.
