With 18th century weaving technology it is possible to build three dimensional textile forms that will solve 21st century problems in the form of scaffolding for regenerative medicine.

Seth Winner is a structural innovator obsessing over three dimensional textiles. Building off the understanding that a textile is more than a decorated surface, he explores the possibility of the textile as a functional construction. By subverting the use of digital textile technology, interlaced yarns can be coerced into three dimensional shapes that solve engineering problems. These problems have included how to give the body a scaffold on which to regrow an artery or trachea or how to weave a bridge or house. Seth joined Secant Group in 2011, bringing more than 15 years of experience in textile design and development. With a focus on jacquard and dobby woven textile structures, Seth has invented several new textile technologies, with several patents pending. In his tenure at Secant Group, Winner has developed many successful woven, knitted and braided structures for medical implants and technical textiles.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx