Self-Zipping Zipper Technology Is Here, but Not for Your Pants

The world's starring zipper institution conscionable demonstrated a self-zipping zipper. YKK's eloquently-named "self-propelled fastener" is intended for ample tents and concern projects, though a refined and miniaturized mentation of exertion could look successful covering astatine immoderate point.

YKK worked with Taiyo Kogyo, a concern that manufactures tensile membrane structures, to show the caller self-propelled zipper. These manufacturers judge that self-propelled zippers volition beryllium utilized erstwhile constructing buildings, roofs, canopies, oregon ample tents with tensile membrane worldly (plastic, fabric, etc)—instead of sending a quality to manually tether ample pieces of operation material, you tin execute the task remotely utilizing motorized zippers.

So, not lone bash these zippers person the imaginable to trim operation costs, but they could besides summation job-site safety. There are immoderate caveats here—the zippers look to necessitate wired power, and humans inactive request to connect the zipper itself by hand—but it's a compelling concept, and successful immoderate case, it's inactive successful a prototype stage.

"YKK has developed a 'self-propelled fastener' that tin remotely power the opening and closing of zippers for concern materials including tents. The 'self-propelled fastener' allows you to unfastened and adjacent the fastener remotely by attaching a self-propelled portion with built-in gears and motors to the fastener and operating it with a wired controller." - YKK Pressroom, Translated

Interestingly, the zipper appears to thrust on a way of accepted interlocking teeth, conscionable similar a overgarment oregon a brace of pants. But the zipper itself has a reasonably unconventional design—it's a small longer than the mean quality hand, for one, and it uses a spinning worm gear to upwind itself forward. Zipper question is controlled by remote, meaning that structures tin beryllium zipped oregon unzipped astatine a distance. Of course, the unzipping portion of this equation whitethorn beryllium much utile erstwhile dealing with impermanent structures, alternatively than imperishable oregon semi-permanent installations.

This exertion could beryllium miniaturized for covering astatine immoderate constituent successful the future. However, the powerfulness request would beryllium annoying (you'd request a battery), and the self-zipping plan brings to caput immoderate precise comical information concerns. People who are physically disabled whitethorn beryllium capable to place these quirks, but magnetic-latching zippers and different low-tech accessibility solutions look to beryllium a acold amended and much desirable option, astatine slightest successful astir situations. Self-zipping shoes look similar a much viable enactment than self-zipping pants, for example.

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Of course, consumers could usage the self-zipping zipper successful immoderate non-clothing contexts—outdoor tents, bags oregon luggage, and truthful on. And the exertion could widen zipper usage to caller merchandise categories, though I'm not definite what those categories mightiness be. Temporary awnings? Remote-controlled curtains? I'll halt portion I'm ahead.

As a speedy broadside note, YKK sold over 10 cardinal zippers from April 2024 to March 2025—enough zippers to ellipse the globe 80 times. The institution besides sells a scope of different products, specified arsenic integrative latches, buttons, and adhesive fasteners.

Source: YKK via The Verge