World's largest zipper maker YKK shows off self-fastening zippers powered by motors and remote controls

WTF?! Most people probably use zippers every day, but the technology behind them has remained fundamentally the same for decades. The world's largest zipper manufacturer aims to change that with motorized zippers that fasten and unfasten themselves. If the idea gains traction, it will initially emerge in enterprise settings. Japanese manufacturer YKK recently announced successful testing results for a prototype automatic zipper. The company suggests that it could help people fasten objects in difficult-to-reach areas. The self-propelled zipper contains a motor and gears that users control with a wired remote. Two experiments demonstrated how it can help industrial workers connect fabrics and other materials in situations that might otherwise introduce unnecessary risk. One video shows the zipper fastening two pieces of cloth together, moving upward to a height of 5 meters (around 15 feet) – otherwise unreachable without a ladder or scaffolding. The device gets to the top in about 40 ... Read full article.