FlexEOP: Flexible Shape-changing Actuator using Embedded Electroosmotic Pumps
Abstract: We print wax on paper and turn the composite into a sequentially-controllable, rapidly-fabricated, low-cost, and biodegradable shape-changing material. This is a novel, versatile yet highly accessible enabling technology that expands the library of morphing materials in HCI. By integrating three physical phenomena (including the bilayer bending actuation, the hygroscopic nature of the paper, and the hydrophobicity property of the wax) and rapidly printing various wax patterns on paper with an off-the-shelf solid ink printer, we develop wax paper actuators that have highly controllable sequential deformation with a wide range of intervals (from seconds to hours). This paper describes the design factor, fabrication process, sequential control, and transformation primitives, and envisions example applications.