Distanced is a responsive, shape-shifting garment that physically reacts to how close others are to the wearer. Inspired by how Covid-19 reshaped our sense of personal space, the dress explores proximity as a new form of nonverbal communication.
When someone enters the wearer's personal space, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor detects their movement and triggers a transformation — cascading panels running from shoulders to hips erect and expand, creating an instinctive, visible boundary. This physical change is powered by shape memory alloys (SMAs) woven into the fabric, materials that shift form in response to heat, activated at 45°C via a 0.5mm SMA spring integrated into the garment.