ConeAct: A Multistable Actuator for Dynamic Materials (CHI'24)

Описание: ConeAct: A Multistable Actuator for Dynamic Materials is a research project by the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

Authors: Yuyu Lin, Jesse T. Gonzalez, Zhitong Cui, Yash Rajeev Banka, Alexandra Ion
Published in Proceedings of ACM CHI 2024.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642949
URL: https://interactive-structures.org/pu...

//Abstract
Complex actuators in a small form factor are essential for dynamic interfaces. In this paper, we propose ConeAct, a cone-shaped actuator that can extend, contract, and bend in multiple directions to support rich expression in dynamic materials. A key benefit of our actuator is that it is self-contained and portable as the whole system. We designed our actuator’s structure to be multistable to hold its shape passively, while we control its transition between states using active materials, i.e., shape memory alloys. We present the design space by showcasing our actuator module as part of self-rolling robots, reconfigurable deployable structures, volumetric shape-changing objects and tactile displays. To assist users in designing such structures, we present an interactive editor including simulation to design such interactive capabilities.