Self-Zippering Zipper

Say what?

Videre est credere.

YouTube description:

YKK Corporation is currently developing a self-propelled zipper that can be remotely controlled to open and close zippers for industrial materials, including tents.

Here we are partnering with Taiyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. to bring you a look at the demonstration test of a prototype zipper, conducted at Taiyo Kogyo's Hirakata factory!

This is a look at the test on a membrane 5 meters high.

We will use the knowledge gained from the demonstration test to further develop the product for practical use.

Wrote Clive Thompson:

If you watch the video above you can see it in action. It's got a little internal worm-gear that rotates and, in doing so, ascends the zipper and attaches its teeth together. The Verge has a short story on it here.

Because the device needs to be bulky enough to contain a motor and a battery, it appears — for now — to be slated for industrial applications. In this video they're using it to zip and unzip the vinyl covering of a work site.

But it'd be fascinating if they could reduce the components to be much smaller and clothing-sized. Would that be possible? You could shrink the motor and screw quite a lot, I'd suspect; the harder part would be the battery, because making a truly teensy battery that carries enough useful juice is nontrivial. Maybe, instead, you could power the motor remotely — i.e. via power-wires sewn into the clothing, or via the metal of the zipper itself? Now you've got an electrocution risk built into your jacket, lol.

A fun engineering challenge, either way....