Morphing Matter
Study (MSc Thesis Project) | 2021
Design Driven Material Innovation - Research & Design | Soft Robotics - Health & Wellbeing
ABSTRACT
This project aims to study the merits of soft robotics for health and wellbeing. It begs the question: "how can we enable sitting better?".
A Design Driven Materials Innovation (DDMI) approach is applied to design and build an iteration for a shape morphing soft robotic material applied to the sedentary context. Everyone who sits, is a stakeholder; since how we sit seriously affects health outcomes. Collaborations and support (School, People, Businesses) were found along the way. The outcome is a prototype and its analysis based on a study of the context. This exploration is expected to showcase what the technology could look and work like; setting the stage for future development.
Render Credit: Dimitrios Selerides
Executive Summary
I
A Starting Point
The Lily Pad: A Precursor
The Morphing Matter Project (MMP) had a precursor born in the ACD course at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering,TUDelft. The Lily Pad is a shape-morphing soft robotic object designed to support and empower the elderly. Besides providing a foundation, the project's reflection was coloured with possibilities for further development. The main drivers were from the sedentary context: A wider & varied user group, Multiple contexts and approaches, An issue of urgency and magnitude.
The idea of a shape morphing surface, in essence, is not new; so why do it again? MMP uses a principle different from the 'traditional' pneumatically actuated air chambers. It creates a new affordance of expressive haptic communication through more control over the degree and rate of actuation. Aspects of safety and scalable manufacturing showed potential in its development when applied as a material to the sedentary context.