An AI-designed, post-mastectomy bra for cancer survivors
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The Algorithmic Lace bra solves two of the challenges facing breast cancer survivors — comfort and lack of symmetry
Spotted: Designed specifically for women after they have undergone a mastectomy, the Algorithmic Lace bra mixes emerging technology with the centuries old craft of handmade lace. It is made of Croatian bobbin lace and is designed by an algorithm.
The AI tweaks a scan of the wearer to create a pattern of lace that is as symmetrical as possible. A foam bust is then cut to measure, which is what the craftspeople work on to create the lace. Lisa Marks, Associate Professor at the Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design, won the 2019 Lexus Design Award with her creation.
“For women who have had a mastectomy, there is nothing that fits them,” Marks told Dezeen.com. “They have mastectomy bras that can hold a prosthetic, but there isn’t anything they can wear that fits their current shape.”
The bra does not use underwire, which tends to hurt post-surgery sensitive skin. And the AI-designed symmetry provides women without reconstruction an option other than prosthetics.