Researchers from South Korea’s KAIST and Stanford University have unveiled a self-dressing robotic suit that can fit a person in around 10 seconds without any use of hands.
The air-powered system embeds soft robotics directly into garments, using flexible tube-like structures that evert, or turn themselves inside out, to push clothing along the contours of the wearer’s body.
A garden plant inspired the KAIST and Stanford design
Inspired by climbing ivy, the tubes advance by growing at the tip rather than dragging the whole garment, allowing the suit to adapt naturally to different positions and navigate curved surfaces or narrow sleeves.
According to CNA, the wearer does not need to stand still while the suit deploys, and the system works without complex tracking software or rigid mechanical parts.
KAIST postdoctoral researcher Kim Nam-gyun reportedly came up with the idea during a rainy bike commute, imagining a raincoat that could deploy itself. The research was published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters and won the KAIST IEEE Award 2024.
Researchers see potential uses in semiconductor cleanrooms, where suiting up can currently take 15 to 30 minutes, as well as for emergency responders needing to move quickly into protective gear, and for elderly or disabled individuals who could dress independently for the first time.
The technology remains an experimental prototype with no commercial release date announced.
South Korea has been at the forefront of unusual robotics recently. Earlier in 2026, the country unveiled its first humanoid robotic monk, officially initiated into Buddhism in a ceremony at Seoul’s Jogye Temple.
