New thermal baby manikin technology introduced to CMU
A baby shower was held on Oct. 22 on the campus of Central Michigan University, marking the birthday of the first thermal baby manikin to be used in the U.S. named Lumi.
Lumi was gingerly introduced to a small crowd of students and faculty who watched as the manikin was dressed in CMU attire, officially welcoming the newest member of the CMU family.
“We thought this would be a great way to involve the students and faculty and also get external connection with costumers that might need to have thermal testing done on a baby,” said Sue Wroblewski, research lab coordinator for the Center for Merchandising and Design Technology.
The manikin will help manufacturers and designers create garments that are thermally comfortable for a real babies to wear, and Wroblewski said it is the first one of its kind to be used in the U.S.
The $120,000 manikin made to simulate a 9-month-old was developed by Thermetrics, an international manufacturer that specializes in designing advanced thermal measurement technology, and the main technology contributor to CMDT. In July, Thermetrics released the first baby manikin, "Ruth" and shipped it off to Melbourne, Australia to be used at RMIT University.
The manikin will be used to test the thermal properties of garments and textiles that will come in contact with a baby, Wroblewski said. This includes baby clothes, diapers, blankets, and bedding as well as external materials like car-seat fabrics, baby carriers and strollers, she said.
“We measure how much power it takes to maintain the body temperature that’s set on the manikin, which converts to an insulation value for clothing,” Wroblewski said.
The “sweating simulation” is a feature of the manikin that can be used to test the breath-ability of clothing and whether or not water vapor can transfer through the material.
Thermetrics is also the creator of CMDT’s first thermal sweating manikin, which was made to resemble a 5-foot-10 inch western male.
This first manikin, named Norm/Norma by CMDT, was purchased by Maureen MacGillivray, apparel merchandising and design technology professor, and her team about 10 years ago with a collaborative grant.
“It really gives us a unique niche in the market for doing research,” MacGillivray said. “We’re hoping it opens a lot of doors for us and the students.”
Almost 400 votes were cast prior to and at the baby shower to name CMU's manikin. Lumi took first place by approximately 25 votes. The shower also featured a onesie design competition, a ceremonial delivery and a chocolate birthday cake to celebrate Lumi’s birthday.
“This is a great opportunity to expose our students to something they probably won’t have access to in the industry,” Wroblewski said.
