8. Soft robotics

Research

For personal reasons, this week was a shorter and quieter one for me. Despite that, I took great pleasure in experimenting with inflatable structures. I have been passionate about this technique for several years, especially since I visited the exhibition “Aerodream: Architecture, Design and Inflatable Structures” at the Cité de l’Architecture & du Patrimoine in Paris. I love the idea that air becomes a material: once captured inside an envelope, it becomes visible and transforms into a tangible, palpable form.

I was particularly impressed by the work of Saskia Helinska, who has explored the possibilities of soft robotics in a remarkable way.

References that also inspired me include :

• “Squaring the Sphere”, Ronald van der Meijs, 2015
• “The Waterproof Cast”, Cast21

References

1. "Squaring the sphere",Ronald van der Meijs,

Process

After observing the soft robotics examples available at Green Fabric, I decided to experiment using the baking parchment and thermo-adhesive technique. Process :

1. Cut shapes in baking paper and place them onto the thermo-adhesive film, adding a margin of about 5 mm toward the outside to allow air to circulate.
2. Place another film on top, matte side against matte side.
3. Press with a heat press at 130°C for 30 seconds.
4. Let it cool, then gently separate the two transparent plastic films.
5. Cut around the final shape.
6. Use a pump with a small nozzle to inflate the structure through the passage left for airflow.

I chose to create my shapes intuitively by cutting directly into the baking paper to form networks through which air could circulate. To achieve relatively symmetrical patterns, I used different paper-folding techniques before cutting. Once unfolded, organic networks appeared—sometimes refined using decorative scissors to add more detail.

For most of the tests, I used vinyl purchased on Amazon. One sample used vinyl found at Green Fabric, but it was too thin, which caused holes to appear in the inflatable. I repaired these using tape, much like patching a damaged inflatable float in the summer. Once each sample was finished, I inserted a small plastic tube into the channel I had intentionally left beforehand to facilitate inflation.

Results