Forma at the Colombia Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka
On July 20, 2025, we presented Forma at the Colombia Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. The visit came right after the lab took part in IEEE ARSO 2025, also held in Osaka, where we presented the research behind the project.
What we presented
Forma is our shape-shifting mannequin. Store mannequins come in a few fixed sizes, so they rarely show how a garment fits other body types. Forma is built from soft pneumatic segments that change its dimensions to represent different bodies. The goal is size inclusivity and a better shopping experience, especially for displaying elastic garments without distortion.
At the pavilion we showed the prototype to visitors and talked about how soft robotics can solve everyday problems, not only industrial ones.
Forma at Expo 2025 Osaka, with the Grand Ring and Myaku-Myaku in the background.
About the event
Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai was the World Expo held on Yumeshima island, Osaka, from April to October 2025, under the theme Designing Future Society for Our Lives. Each participating country had a pavilion to showcase its culture, science and innovation. Presenting Forma at the Colombia Pavilion let us share research made in Colombia with an international audience.
Outcomes and takeaways
- A public showcase of Forma for visitors from around the world.
- Conversations about soft robotics, inclusive design and the future of retail.
- A chance to represent Colombian research on a global stage, alongside our papers at IEEE ARSO 2025.
Links
- Ramirez-Corredor, D., Cante-Munoz, A., Camargo, J. "A Shape-Shifting Mannequin for Enhanced Retail Experience." 2025 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics and its Social Impacts (ARSO), Osaka, Japan, 2025, pp. 206–211. doi:10.1109/ARSO64737.2025.11124994
- Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai: expo2025.or.jp