When thinking of Radical Atoms we can approach research from the perspective of the human body, the physical object or the environment around these in space.

For this project you are to design interactions that incorporate pneumatic / soft actuation and/or sensing for exploration of Radical Atoms.

To focus your project, try to think of interactions from the perspective of body, object or space and try to match the impedance of the function to the objects you create by thinking critically about the interactions you design.

Deliverables:

• 3 Gifs showing interactions from the final project
  
• Project overview page uploaded to wordpress with any related media, animations or photographs.
  
• Final Presentation of 10 minutes + 10 minutes discussion

A table designed with responsive topography to enhance the dynamics of conversation. The project started with the idea of Improving Group Discussions with participation feedback.

Groups that received feedback about members’ participation balanced the group discussion, and came to the correct decision more often that groups that had no feedback.

The table can directionally sense sound and it changes inflation amount in response to each speaker’s input.Built with Inflatable air bags set in a recessed wooden table top covered with a flexible table top.The table works by taking sound recording from each user and amplifying the sound using processing. The amplified sound is then given to the Pneuduino.

An external air-pump is connected to three Pneuduino extension boards with five valves connected to each of the five air-bags. When a person who speaks for more than a certain threshold time interval, the system triggers the inflation causing the ball on the surface to move across away from the speaker.

Muscles convey information about the immediate surrounding physical world through kinesthetic feedback. ExoMuscle can convey information about the non-physical (digital) world beyond the reach of your immediate space.

We have three proposed applications: Driving feedback alert, Time management, and Extra sensory feedback.

The applications range on a gradient from utility to experience, where utility is a direct functional product, and experience is in the realm of wonderment, fiction and alternate possibilities.

We made many prototypes by looking at muscular functions, form and movement:

Research shows that the body conveys sentimental information through different body parts, so though our project we hope to establish a connection between physical feedback and data, beyond just the hands and fingertips. 

Our ancestors used the bottoms of their feet to tell them about the world – as our only constant point of contact with the earth, our feet inform us about terrain, warn us about potential danger, and keep us balanced and upright. We see evidence of this in the fact that the bottom of the foot has one of the most dense concentrations of neural receptors in the body. These days, however, we miss that fact: Our feet are all too often cushioned and insulated from any amount of sensory feedback whatsoever.

PneuiFeet attempts to address this by introducing pneumatically-actuated sensations directly beneath the foot. In our early iterations of the project, we introduced this idea through the use of a carpet – a bathroom or kitchen rug, for instance, that would relay information to you in the morning while you got ready for the day. We later made the rug mobile by converting it to a pair of slippers: Now the capability travels with you. Finally, we settled on a silicone insole, tying into an existing market and permitting the technology to traverse outside the home.

Design + Build

Building on the work of the Dynamic Texture Change project (Yao et al), we began by experimenting with different chamber formations: point, line, arc, spiral, etc. We tested the resulting actuations with both our feet and our hands, finally settling on a chain of metal beads that was easy to prototype, simple to remove from the solidified silicone, and effective at creating a sensation (even under pressure).

Later, we moved from rectangular casts to an actual slipper shape. We created molds for a women’s size 6 and a men’s size 10.5 slipper, although ultimately we only cast iterations of the former. The molds were waterjet cut from 1/4″ thick polycarbonate and glued together to create the desired thickness. Two different configurations were cast: One with three long chambers running parallel with the feet, and one with six shorter chambers running perpendicular to the feet.

Finally, the insole was inserted into a modified shoe for testing. Holes were drilled in the shoe to allow the entrance of pneumatic tubes from the pump and microcontroller.

For visual purposes, we have demonstrated the actuation of the insole outside of the shoe.

Applications

The applications for this technology are manifold. From AR to VR, to medicine, fitness, and social media, haptic feedback is increasingly being realized as critical to our digital interactions. Below we present three possible scenarios:

1. Reflexology

The study of reflexology aims to provide relaxation and wellness through foot massage, based on the theory that there are reflex points on the feet mapped to every point in the body. This is an ancient practice that enjoys modern relevance in everything from foot massages to acupuncture. If the chambers of PneuiFeet can be made small enough (perhaps through the aid of a rigid “focusing” layer that would not allow bubble expansion), then these insoles could be programmed to target different points in the body, as needed.

2. Diabetic sensory neuropathy

This gradual nerve dysfunction is a common side effect of diabetes. It results in loss of sensation in the sensory extremities of the body, including the feet. While treatment for diabetes focuses largely on glucose levels, some patients have reported symptom alleviation through the use of biofeedback (“Diabetic Neuropathy”), such as that provided by PneuiFeet. In addition, patients could use PneuiFeet to monitor the neuropathy, reporting at regular intervals whether the sensations are increased or decreased (without having to see a specialist).

3. Navigation

Finally, we see great potential for the use of PneuiFeet in non-visual sensory navigation. Research has shown that even simple stimulation of certain places on the bottom of the feet can have an impact on “sensory steering” (Zehr et al). Linked with GPS and a predetermined route, PneuiFeet could provide turning information by actuating in individual shoes. PneuiFeet could also increase or decrease the frequency of its inflation in order to encourage the user to speed up or slow down, perhaps based on traffic conditions or weather reports. In addition, PneuiFeet could connect with a variety of sensors or public infrastructural systems to offer information for the visually impaired, such as when a crosswalk signal is activated.

References

“Diabetic Neuropathy (Nerve Damage) – An Update.” Diabetic Neuropathy. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

Yao, Lining, Ryuma Niiyama, Jifei Ou, Sean Follmer, Clark Della Silva, and Hiroshi Ishii. “PneUI: Pneumatically Actuated Soft Composite Materials for Shape Changing Interfaces,” 13–22. ACM Press, 2013. doi:10.1145/2501988.2502037.

Zehr et al.: Cutaneous stimulation of discrete regions of the sole during locomotion produces “sensory steering” of the foot. BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2014 6:33.

The Shoe Lovers:

Aubrey Colter, Manisha Mohan, Andrew Ringler, Udayan Umapathi

Project Overview

Introduction

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

There are many reasons why we own many pairs of shoes. We have shoes for exercising, working, playing, dressing up, feeling comfortable, managing different seasons, etc. We change shoes a lot.

We encounter many different floor and ground textures throughout our day-to-day. But most days, we don’t carry extra pairs of shoes for those different textures because shoes are bulky. Furthermore, it usually is not practical to change our shoes when encountering a new surface, such as a slippery wet floor in the office or an icy sidewalk in the winter.

Problem: Our shoes do not change traction based on the surface they are touching.

Problem Discussion

There are many common scenarios where a shoe that changed its traction based on the surface it is touching would be practical.

1. Winter Safety: Increased shoe traction can prevent slipping on icy surfaces. This is particularly a concern for pregnant women and elderly people who are at a high risk for serious injury if they slip and fall.
2. Outdoor Activities: Additional shoe traction can improve grip on varying terrains. For example, hikers encounter paved and dirt paths, and need varying levels of traction depending on the surface and the incline of the path. Rock climbers need more traction in places where they do not have a large or solid hold on the rock surface.
3. Indoor Floor Surfaces: Indoor flooring varies from wood to tile to carpet. Shoes that have good friction on carpet may be too slick to walk safely on polished wood. Floors can be wet or at an incline which increases the need for additional traction to avoid slipping.

Solution: Design pneumatic shoe soles that dynamically change traction based on environment sensing.

Design

Sketches

1) Cleat-style pneumatically actuated spikes come out of shoe.

2) Pneumatically actuated coils

3) Different traction patterns

Preliminary Designs and Fabrication Iterations (GIFs)

We created our molds using DragonSkin 10. Initially, we experimented with using balloons to create air chambers in the silicon.

We also experimented with layering different traction patterns.

Final Fabrication

Finally, we settled on using mylar sheets, laser cut in different patterns, to create the air chambers.

GIF of mylar fabrication process

Prototype GIFs

Basic sole inflation:

Inflation on shoe:

Demonstration of increased traction on shoe:

Use case: Environment sensing and dynamic traction

Future Work

We know our work with changing traction can be applied to other fields and is not limited to shoes. We see direct application for the following:

1. Rubber gloves: Glass dishes are very slippery when wet and soapy — and they will break if you drop them. Other dishes are less slippery (and less likely to break) and require less grip. We envision gloves that could adapt their grip based on the type of dish the wearer is holding.
2. Tires for cars and bicycles: Road and trail conditions can change suddenly, especially in the case of inclement weather. We envision designing tires for cars and bicycles that change their traction dynamically based on environmental factors (such as weather, road condition, and speed). Furthermore, we think combining different traction patterns on the same tire would give more or less traction when used together or separately.

Currently, it is unlikely that a computer can predict changes in surface texture. We envision a smartphone app for Pneu Shoe wearers that allows them to control the traction of the shoe, based on what they can observe about their environment. Tapping one of these four basic images would adjust the traction of the shoes to provide better grip on these surfaces.

App prototype homescreen:

Related Work

Jifei Ou and New Balance: Jamming Shoe

GeckSkin, Crosby et al. UMass Amherst

Artificial Setae with Carbon Nanotubes Zhong Lin Wan et al. Georgia Tech

The Reebok Pump

Heelys

Retractable Skates

Sports cleats

In our research, we did not encounter previous work relating to changing the outer sole of the shoe.

Final Presentation Slides PDF

Group Members: Abdulla Alhajri, Lia Bogoev, Amy Loomis, Nono Martinez Alonso, Harpreet Sareen

Random mode: This basic mode creates a course configuration for the player using a near-random algorithm. The user can hone his or her skills on an ever-changing course.

Training mode: Using computer vision, iPutt projects the optimal path for the ball to follow to make the shot and provides the user with a target to putt toward that places the user’s ball on that optimal path. Even over changing terrain, computer vision and calculation will work to improve the player’s game. 

Dynamic mode: In this challenging mode, players try to score a hole-in-one on a dynamically changing course, which changes even after the player has hit the ball.

Multiplayer mode: In multiplayer mode, iPutt takes game play to the next level. Now, friends don’t have to be on the same golf course to play together. One player chooses a course, and the other player’s iPutt will match the other’s course configuration. Using computer vision and projection, iPutt shows your opponent’s ball as it moves along the green.

Potential developments:

• incorporate texture changes to mimic varying terrain
• alter the natural physics on the course by magnetic or other interaction with the ball

The pillow has three specific modes of interaction:

• Automatic shape adjustment during sleep for maximum comfort: The Smart Pillow senses areas of high-pressure, and reduces its inflation accordingly to relieve pressure areas. Meanwhile, it detects areas of low pressure and inflates them more, matching the contour of the user’s head and neck to distribute support evenly.

Sleeping comfortably on the self-adjusting smart pillow.

• Sleeping/Reading Context Switching: When the user tries to sit up in a reading position, differences in pressure across the entire pillow activate a wedge-shaped pouch for the perfect bed reading ergonomics. When the user is done and wants to sleep, sliding down on the pillow reactivates sleep mode.

Reading on the self-adjusting smart pillow.

• Tactile Emotional Support: When the user clutched Smart Pillow in worry and despair, Smart Pillow gives the user a hug of reassurance and consolation.

Hug reciprocation with the lovable smart pillow.

The first prototype of Smart Pillow has undergone successful initial testing.

Future versions are recommended to incorporate:

• emotional sensing and response
• user personalization
• reading illumination
• telepresence sleeping
• bedtime story tangible augmentation
• wake alarm functionality