Development of and experimentation on deformable three-dimensional figures by the use of polystyrene beads, a pressure sensor, and an air pump
Kadri Rebane, Yasushi Matoba, Azusa Hakamatsuka, Toshiki Sato, Sachiko Kodama, Hideki Koike · 2012
In this paper, we describe the design and development of shapeable figures filled with polystyrene beads. We discovered we could create solid objects by the extraction of air from a container filled with small polystyrene beads. These objects were easy to shape. They also maintained their shapes after formation. We collected feedback about the formability of these objects by the insertion of pressure sensors. We were also able to control other devices, such as LEDs and DC motors, based on data collected by the pressure sensors. When we controlled the DC motor, we were able to regulate the air pump's power. This allowed us to control the objects' hardness by modulation of the volume of the air inside them.