‘Two threads meet’ is an open source jacquard loom that allows for individual control over 100 threads. Weavers are able to “program” patterns through punch cards which control whether or not a string will be lifted. This means that the loom is capable of weaving images and complex patterns which typical looms can’t.
This version is inspired by the historical version of the jacquard loom but incorporates modern motorized control and is scaled down to be used by artists rather than industrial production. The jacquard loom was introduced in the 17th century and in many ways came to represent a shift in human/machine relations. Textile workers had no rights over the machines that began to replace them and their desires were not considered by the engineers focused on speed and cost saving production. These looms went on to inspire early computer designs that used a similar punch card system to store data.
This project is a way of rewriting this history, returning agency to weavers. This jacquard loom is able to be reproduced at any fablab, with all build plans available online for free and able to be edited and customized based on users needs.
Final Project Fabricademy 2023-2024 | #opensourcehardware #human-machineinteraction #intersectionofcraftandtechnoloqgy
