Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
ElectriPop: Low-Cost, Shape-Changing Displays Using Electrostatically Inflated Mylar Sheets
We describe how sheets of metalized mylar can be cut and then “inflated” into complex 3D forms with electrostatic charge for use in digitally-controlled, shape-changing displays. This is achieved by placing and nesting various cuts, slits and holes such that mylar elements repel from one another to reach an equilibrium state. Importantly, our technique is compatible with industrial and hobbyist cutting processes, from die and laser cutting to handheld exacto-knives and scissors. Given that mylar film costs less than $1 per square meter, we can create self-actuating 3D objects for just a few cents, opening new uses in low-cost consumer goods. Published at ACM CHI 2022.
github.com/FIGLAB/MylarFilmSimulator
Research Team: Cathy Mengying Fang, Jianzhe Gu, Lining Yao, and Chris Harrison
Citation
Fang, C., Gu, J., Yao, L. and Harrison, C. 2022. ElectriPop: Low-Cost Shape-Changing Displays with Electrostatically Inflated Mylar Sheets. To appear in Proceedings of the 40th Annual SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (April 30 – May 6, 2022). CHI '22. ACM, New York, NY.
ElectriPop: Low-Cost, Shape-Changing Displays Using Electrostatically Inflated Mylar Sheets
We describe how sheets of metalized mylar can be cut and then “inflated” into complex 3D forms with electrostatic charge for use in digitally-controlled, shape-changing displays. This is achieved by placing and nesting various cuts, slits and holes such that mylar elements repel from one another to reach an equilibrium state. Importantly, our technique is compatible with industrial and hobbyist cutting processes, from die and laser cutting to handheld exacto-knives and scissors. Given that mylar film costs less than $1 per square meter, we can create self-actuating 3D objects for just a few cents, opening new uses in low-cost consumer goods. Published at ACM CHI 2022.
github.com/FIGLAB/MylarFilmSimulator
Research Team: Cathy Mengying Fang, Jianzhe Gu, Lining Yao, and Chris Harrison
Citation
Fang, C., Gu, J., Yao, L. and Harrison, C. 2022. ElectriPop: Low-Cost Shape-Changing Displays with Electrostatically Inflated Mylar Sheets. To appear in Proceedings of the 40th Annual SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (April 30 – May 6, 2022). CHI '22. ACM, New York, NY.
