At the Formnext 2024 exhibition, Elegoo, a rapidly growing brand in smart manufacturing, launched its first women empowerment initiative, “ELEGOO With Her,” aimed at equipping women and girls with 3D printing skills. The program, which debuted on November 19, highlighted the company’s commitment to fostering inclusivity in the 3D printing field.
The event kicked off with the unveiling of the Scale Dress, a stunning creation by renowned FashionTech designer and engineer Anouk Wipprecht. The dress, a key feature of the launch, was showcased in a live model show, demonstrating the potential of 3D printing in fashion and robotics. Designed with mechanical parts printed on the Elegoo Neptune 4 series 3D printers, the dress incorporates servo motors that enable moving elements, allowing for a modular design that anyone can build. Wipprecht, known for her work in wearable robotics, explained that the project offered an affordable entry point into the FashionTech field.
“This is a modular system that anyone can print, and it provides an accessible way to enter the Wearable Robotics field without significant financial investment,” said Wipprecht. “The Elegoo Neptune printers are ideal for this – ranging from $190 for the smallest model to $390 for the largest, making them easy to start exploring 3D printing and modeling.”
The dress design was shared openly on Wipprecht’s Instructables page, where she provided a step-by-step guide for anyone interested in replicating the creation. The open-source nature of the project aims to inspire others to explore 3D printed fashion and robotics on their own terms.
In addition to the Scale Dress presentation, the event also featured a women’s roundtable discussion at 4 p.m. The panel, moderated by Elegoo’s brand director Coco Lee, included influential women in the 3D printing space, such as Wipprecht, Batoul al-Rashdan, Brigitte Kock, and Linette Manuel. The discussion centred on the growing role of women in the industry and how to create a more inclusive community within 3D printing and FashionTech.
At the roundtable, Elegoo officially launched “ELEGOO With Her,” an empowerment programme designed to support women and girls in the 3D printing sector. The programme will recruit 30 participants, who will receive 3D printers, software support, and mentorship from leading women in the field. This initiative will provide two months of online courses and workshops, designed to give participants the tools and knowledge to create their own 3D printed projects. The programme will culminate in April 2025 with an opportunity for participants to showcase their work.
Coco Lee, Brand Director at Elegoo, expressed her enthusiasm for the program, saying: “Through our interactions with customers and partners, we’ve seen more women and girls entering 3D printing, whether for personal projects or business. With our programme, we hope to build a supportive community and give them the tools to thrive.”
The ELEGOO With Her programme will run from November 2024 to February 2025, with the application process now open to women and girls eager to explore the world of 3D printing. For more infomation, please visit the ELEGOO With Her page
