Work

We began this project as a challenge to ourselves. With two robotic arms in the office, we wanted to explore something technically demanding but creatively open. We have always loved building tools and programming machines, but this time we wanted to do something different—something that brought together the delicacy of an elusive material with the robustness of industrial hardware.

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Gradient structures allow objects to fundamentally transcend the limitations of their materials. Where once we had to layer different single-attribute materials, we are now able to design mono-material items that embody multiple attributes through structure alone. And, in reducing the amount of materials and material we use to create our everyday objects, we can start to reimagine them within circular product pipelines that automate their assembly and disassembly.

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When Nike's NXT Innovation team approached us to build a machine to advance circularity, we knew we would be working with kindred spirits. We went on to work closely with Nike innovators, designers, engineers and vendors for two-and-a-half years to build and refine the Bot Initiated Longevity Lab, a.k.a. B.I.L.L., a robotic system with the mission to keep wearable sneakers out of landfill.

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The invention of the transformer architecture in 2017, making large language models (LLM) like ChatGPT possible, opened up a world of possibilities. Trained on a large corpus of documents, LLMs embody a compressed representation of humanity’s knowledge. Humans and machines can interact with LLMs by having a conversation with them in human language.

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How can a factory behave like a forest? As technology accelerates, it still props up outdated, unsustainable models. We’ve been exploring alternatives—ways to heal both the means and ends of industry. This led to the Industrial Biome: a model inspired by natural systems, combining digital infrastructure and fabrication tech with human empowerment and ecological repair.

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The REFRESH machine is a compact, automated sneaker-cleaning station that gets straight down to business.Think of it as a carwash for sneakers.

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The Textile disassembly Station is a modular, semi-automated pipeline to facilitate the pre-recycling break down of used firefighter suits and retrieval of valuable materials such as aramid. By laying the technical groundwork for scaling disassembly operations within the EU's textile value chains, we hope to reinforce the path to a more circular economy.

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As a component that can render a garment functional or broken, the zipper is often deemed too complex or costly to repair leading to high instances of waste.To address this, with our partner STAM, we developed Rezip: a modular zipper-repair workstation that combines smart automation, hand-held tools and an intuitive interface to guide streamlined zipper repairs of apparel and sporting goods in 10 minutes.

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Generative models for 2D images has recently seen tremendous progress in quality, resolution and speed as a result of the efficiency of 2D convolutional architectures. However it is difficult to extend this progress into the 3D domain since most current 3D representations rely on custom network components. This paper addresses a central question: Is it possible to directly leverage 2D image generative models to generate 3D shapes instead?

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A ‘whole innovation’ catalog, Changing Matter is our contemporary homage to the Whole Earth Catalog. We collated the research, insights, ideas and ideals that drove our own journey towards becoming a more regenerative engineering studio into a non-linear encyclopedia.

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After several innovation consulting projects with Cartier, we were invited to design a global retail lab network to bring innovation in-house—starting in Brooklyn, then expanding to Tokyo and Shanghai. Our role included aligning internal teams, scouting talent and spaces, and developing the methods and tools to guide the labs’ practice. Cartier's lab team went on to develop spectacular concepts and devices like Aleph (a high-jewelry digital vitrine) or the maison's virtual try-on system using GAN technology, autonomously

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Fascinated by the beauty of caustic reflections in nature, we set about finding a way to master both the reflection and refraction of light to create spectacular and unexpected memories, encoded in special objects.

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In 2016, Gentle Systems brought Cartier’s Executive Committee to Berlin for a 3-day foresight experience at Soho House. We blended innovation, design fiction, and craftsmanship—connecting them with creative minds, technologists, and cultural landmarks. Guests explored future-facing concepts and hands-on prototypes developed specifically for the summit, including a location-based AR iPad app that revealed Berlin’s skyline in a new light from the rooftop terrace.

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