Sweaters as a Service

Explore the fascinating journey of hacking a 1980s knitting machine to be computer-controlled in this engaging conference talk. Discover how a group of Airbnb engineers, inspired by Nintendo's unrealized knitting add-on for the NES, embarked on a mission to create a modern, programmable knitting system. Learn about the challenges faced and solutions devised, from basic machine repairs to emulating floppy drives and developing custom cables. Gain insights into the creation of a yarn printer API and witness the printing of meme-inspired designs. Follow along as the speaker demonstrates live knitting requests and showcases the resulting unique, if somewhat unconventional, sweaters. Delve into the intersection of technology, creativity, and textile production while exploring potential future applications and innovations in this field.