MIT’s aeroMorph Creates Programmable, Origami-Like Inflatable Materials

Whether airbags, birthday balloons, or even something more exotic like air muscles, we’ve all experienced “inflatables” in some capacity. On the other hand, what if you could inflate something and have it fold into the three-dimensional shape that you designed?

aeroMorph, from MIT Tangible Media Group, does just this using a CNC sealing machine to join two halves of an air pouch together in such a way as to control how it folds when inflated. This leads to very interesting origami-like creations that can transform themselves when air is applied, like a crane shown in the video below.

This innovative way of programming paper, plastics, and fabrics starts with a custom software tool that enables you to mock up a pattern based on the inflated shape you’re looking to bring to life. This design is then exported as a digital fabrication file to a three-axis CNC machine equipped with a custom heat-sealing head.

Though interesting from an artistic standpoint, aeroMorph could certainly be applied to more practical applications from safety systems to wearables to new packaging methods. Futuristic bubble wrap, anyone?

You can read all about aeroMorph in the team’s paper, and in Co.Design’s recent writeup here.