A team of researchers at Harvard College developed John A. Paulson Engineering and Applied Sciences materials that control balloons and convert them into previously programmed shapes. The team used krigame sheets installed in inflatable devices. When the balloon expands, the crigami leaves guide it, allowing some parts to expand and preventing this in other parts. The researchers succeeded in controlling this expansion and using it to develop larger and smaller models.
The team also developed a reverse design strategy, an algorithm that determines the optimal design for an inflatable karigami device to simulate the target shape.
This research introduces a new platform for devices that change shape and that support the development of innovative medical tools, said Katia Bertoldi, Professor of Applied Mechanics at Harvard College.
The team found that adjusting the engineering standards for krigami leaves helps control complex shapes. Antonio Elia Forte, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard College John A. Paulson Engineering and Applied Sciences "We can program many shapes in karigami balloons by adjusting only two engineering standards in karigami leaves".
The balloon, which was developed by researchers, has taken many forms such as hooks and vases, and the team hopes that these balloons will pave the way towards developing devices that change their shape and are used in many fields, from medical applications to space exploration.