Under Armour’s new facility will house futuristic technology and human workers
Monster Contributing Writer
But don’t fret, job seekers! Many of Under Armour’s new devices will require a large number of employees to operate in tandem with the technology.
Under Armour plans to hire top designers, developers and engineers to work in conjunction with these high-tech machines. The building currently maintains a staff of 58 employees, 20 of whom are new hires, but plans to expand to 100 by the end of the year and eventually reach the thousands, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.
Other machines include a 3-D body scanner that activates 54 cameras to capture athletes in motion. The output, a 3-D avatar, will help designers create apparel specifically tailored to the bodies of scanned individuals. The company also is experimenting with a 3-D printer that constructs sneaker soles from powder.
A few other companies have been exploring capabilities with innovative manufacturing technology as well. In January 2014, The Hershey Company partnered with 3-D Systems to apply 3-D printing to the development of chocolate treats at the “Sugar Lab,” while aerospace giant Boeing utilized over 20,000 3-D-printed parts in its planes by the end of 2012. The 787 Dreamliner includes 30 printed parts — an industry record.