→ Jifei Ou is fabricating the multi-state air bladder. Bubbles can grow on bubbles; balloons can grow on balloons.
surprise in making
this? Surprisingly, and
a bit strangely, we feel
like we are developing
a unique relationship
with the materials we are
working with. They are
like your pets. They have
their personalities and
unexpected behaviors. In
order to let them achieve
the performance you hoped
for, you need to really invest
time, patience, and passion
into interacting with them,
trying everything you can
think of to play with them.

What is the one thing
about making this that
you would like to share
with other makers? Try to
minimize errors from the
very beginning. You thought
you just wanted to try out
something quick, so instead
of milling or 3D printing a
proper mold, you just laser
cut and glued a mold with a
thin, heat-distorted acrylic.
And of course you will fail in
this experiment. Then you
realize the quick failure has
prevented you from going
down this route and spending
more time on it. But the
possible truth is the failure
might be only in the accuracy
of your fabrication, and you
have just missed a chance to
create a great invention.

As told by Lining Yao, Tangible Media Group, MI T Media Lab

Project Members: Lining Yao,
Ryuma Niiyama, Jifei Ou, Sean
Follmer, and Hiroshi Ishii, Tangible
Media Group, MIT Media Lab
http://tangible.media.mit.edu/
project/pneui-pneumatically-
driven-soft-composite-material/
DOI: 10.1145/2626273 COP YRIGH T HELD B Y AU THOR
JULY–AUGUST 2014 INTERACTIONS 15 INTERACTIONS.ACM.ORG
→ Multi-state texture samples with different cut patterns.