This undulating robotic shirt changes shape whenever someone looks at it

Behnaz Farahi

What if the clothing you were wearing was controlled not by you, but by the people looking at you?

A new shirt called "Caress of the Gaze" uses 3D-printed plastic and a camera to create this effect.

Designed by LA-based artist Behnaz Farahi and produced as a part of the Pier 9 Artist in Residence program in San Francisco, the 3D-printed top recoils and undulates when it senses that someone is looking at it.

It's pretty trippy to watch in action since it looks like the shirt can breathe and move on its own as the tiny quills react and shift.

Those 3D-printed quills are in a "semi-flexible mesh laced with 'muscle wire,'" according to the Guardian, that controls the movement. A camera at the base of the neck tells the shirt when it's being watched.

Farahi told Tech Monthly (via The Guardian) that the top works with a tiny camera that can recognize when another person is looking at it, and can even differentiate between genders. One day Farahi hopes her invention will be able to differentiate between ages, too.

The tunic is "an extension of our own skin," Farahi told Tech Monthly. She was inspired by the feathers, scales, and skin of animals.

Given the top's seemingly lifelike movements, it could be an exciting new development in not only wearable technology and fashion, but much, much more. Think about the possibilities with gaming and even armor if we can create clothing that senses when someone else is watching.

Little else is known about the top and Farahi's website merely has a "more information coming soon" sign. We have reached out to the artist to ask about the price and possible future designs and will update when we hear back.

Behnaz Farahi