04 experiments

28th Feb - 19th March 2022 2022

Post Mid Term Presentations

3d modelling¶

I followed this tutorial to mould the first beads

It printed really nicely

silicone¶

perlite hydrogel¶

Hydrogels = ionic bonds

Recipe

this recipes gives the option to add food colouring so in my case I also added perlite

2x seperate solutions

1st solution

deionized water	sodium alginate	perlite
100ml	2g	0.5g

Stir to dissolve; in this case I used a hand blender to combine

2nd solution

deionized water	calcium chloride
500ml	25g

Stir to dissolve

In my case, for the method I sprayed the moulds with calcium chloride and poured the alginate & perlite solution inside. After a short time I then put the moulds in the calcium chloride solution, pushing it into liquid to encourage coating all around. The

sketches¶

prototype ii¶

I had an idea to do this 2nd sample to incorporating the perlite/alginate beads into some hand stitched pockets - like the ones from Eurecat.

PICTURES OF SAMPLE CONSTRUCTION

mid term presentation¶

Here is my original mid term presentation:

I had a lot of valuable and constructive feedback from this. My intentional next steps and considerations from feedback:

how do people want to relax?
when and how is the function activated?
how to create pressure? who creates the pressure? what creates the pressure?
redesign the bead shape; see acupressure tools/unfolding organic shapes
potentially incorporate a harness/belt structure to tighten the areas with the beads

research¶

I found this jacket after searching "acupressure clothing" - it incorporates the functionality of what I want to achieve.

The detachable inner vest is closer fitting to the body compared to the hoodie. It is air powered with inflation technology from an app.

This article from 2016 claims:

offers acupressure like pressure point massage right from your chair
works by inflating pads with foam in the jacket to create an acupressure massage, controllable through a mobile app
the inflatable pads to make noticeable bumps in the material along the back of the jacket
works best while seated because your chair helps push the foam points into your back, creating the pressure point massage effect
the item is supposed to offer posture "reinforcement" and body compression
verticle strips built into the jacket can inflate
app controls the devie but also offers "biodata feedback"
the jacket only works when you are fully zipped in - likely to be a drawback in warmer temperatures
the pads make a sound as they inflate though the company claims it is quiet

It was made by the same company who made this t-ware jacket for "individuals with conditions like autism and anxiety".

inflatables¶

I rewatched the softrobotics lecture to try and think of some possibilities for inflation in my project.

Here's a rough sketch I did

This design by Monserrat Ciges is a good reference for how I could maybe inflate my beads or try to pressure them for my design to work.

bead test i¶

silicone disc w hard perlite/calcium tip:

In this experiment I wanted to add the Calcium Chloride Perlite sample to Silicone to combine the hard with the soft.

bead test ii¶

water	alginate	perlite	cellulose	glycerine
70ml	2g	4g	4g	3ml

inflatable knitwear¶

I found this amazing project: Knitflatable Architecture by Yuliya Baranovskaya. She differentiates between dynamic mechanical (stretching/elasticity) and kinetic (foldable/creasing/curling). The visuals of her work have really motivated the possibilities of my own project to include small pvc pipes to inflate and pressure the beads.