One of the most basic elements of our clothing is about to undergo a revolution: YKK, the world’s largest zipper manufacturer, recently revealed a prototype of an innovative zipper that can close on its own—with just a single push of a button. The zipper is equipped with a tiny motor and an internal gear system, enabling it to move along the track independently. Currently, the prototype is still large and bulky compared to regular zippers, but the company estimates that in the future, they will be able to shrink it enough for use in everyday clothing—and perhaps put an end to the embarrassing situations of open zippers.
At the moment, YKK is targeting the new technology for industrial applications rather than the fashion world. In a video the company posted on its YouTube channel, the zipper can be seen connecting two sheets five meters high in just about 40 seconds—a task that, without the mechanism, would require the use of ladders or heavy equipment.
In another experiment, the zipper connected two temporary shelters, four meters wide and more than two and a half meters high, in less than a minute. All this was made possible by an advanced threading transmission mechanism that moves the zipper precisely along the track.
Before the technology reaches clothing—there are still a few stages to go in turning the automatic zipper into a product suitable for everyday wear. YKK will need to overcome several significant challenges: miniaturizing the mechanism, adding a rechargeable internal battery, and integrating safety mechanisms to ensure that the use is smooth and free from the risk of entanglement or jamming.