Research at FAST

31 Our research platforms strongly support our staff and research students to produce high quality research. Our laboratories, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, are organized as follows: Institute of Textiles and Clothing Our Studios/Workshops/Gallery for Fashion & Textile Design includes a Fashion Design Studio installed with sophisticated visual equipment, and a Garment workshop equipped with diverse sewing machine types such as lockstitch sewing machines, special sewing machines, advanced sewing and linking machines. Our Fashion Gallery showcases resources to inspire, as well as provides a platform for open forums and dialogue for the design community at large. The Center for Smart Wearable Technology established in November 2018 with Prof. Xiaoming Tao as founding director, in collaboration with the Department of Applied Physics and Department of Electrical Engineering, is supported by unique state-of-the-art facilities housed in various laboratories and dedicated scientific officers and research personnel. The research infrastructure can cater for research activities on fiber-based wearable technologies and the evaluation of wearable electronic devices, medical devices, material synthesis and processing, sports, composites, and industries applications. The centre also houses multi-scale measurement and fabrication equipment. The Laboratory for Human Factor & Functional Clothing Technologies is equipped with the Walter™ Sweating Manikin and a climatic chamber enabling garment testing for thermal comfort. The laboratory also features a treadmill and cardio-respiratory stress test equipment for cardiopulmonary exercise and metabolic performance testing. The lab also boasts an advanced XSEN MVN Motion Capture System and VICON motion analysis system for motion/posed related research such as movement technique analysis, gait analysis, functional range of motion testing, posture assessment, etc. The Laboratory for Advanced Fibrous Materials & Technology is equipped with a series of fabrication and measurement equipment for fiber-based materials. This laboratory enables material synthesis and processing, houses filament/spun yarn spinning, electrospinning, advanced knitting and weaving machines, as well as physical and mechanical testing facilities for fibers, yarns and fabrics, KES fabric objective measurement systems, etc. The Laboratory for Textile Processing and Coloration Technology is equipped with a "Robotex" machine able to apply color spraying directly on garments with its robotic arm, and instruments for color evaluation and management such as the MacBeth and the DataColor spectrophotometers. The laboratory is also equipped with various dyeing machines, plasma and coating instruments for textile surface treatment, and various fastness testers, etc. The Laboratory for AI & Digital Fashion Technology is equipped with state-of-the-art scanning systems, including the Vitus Smart XXL 3D body scanning system from Human Solutions as well as scanning systems for foot, head and portable scanning devices. This laboratory is extensively used to support many research activities, such as 3D pattern design, studies on intimate apparel sizing, China anthropometrics, etc. In addition, the lab is installed with an advanced digital printer and 3D printers that support digital fashion creation, rapid prototyping and reserve engineering. The Laboratory for Fashion Sustainability generates creative solutions for real problems via designs at molecular, micro- and macro-scales. Bridging the gaps between technology, social management and business, to nourish practical pathways spurring fashion industry evolution, based on biomimicry and system principles, this laboratory shares its equipment with other department labs such as fashion manufacturing machineries, design software, AI medium, and standard auditing resources, etc. The Laboratory for Fashion Supply Chain Management is equipped with sophisticated computing facilities for applying quantitative methodologies to resolve supply chain management problems, including supply chain optimization, supply chain collaboration and coordination, inventory management, green supply chain management, etc. Our Research Platforms