Imaging ordering a 3D product which enters your house through the slit of your mailbox and which pops up when you unwrap it.

The purpose of this project was to develop a programmable hinge structure and make a demonstrator which shows its functionality.

The hinge consists of a 3D printed strip with a flexible part in the middle and stiff edges. The flexible part contains channels with fluid metal (i.e. fluid above 62 C and solid below) which can freeze whenever in the desired shape and is higly flexible during shape transformation. The actuation is done using shape memory alloy wires (SMAs). Note that the actuation is reversible: it can go forward as well as backward.


Graduate student

  • Liselotte Stolk (graduated April 20th, 2017)