A B C Figure 1 . 3D printed pneumatic button (A), knob (B), and slider (C). We print these models with rigid and elastic materials, and in some cases add electronic components to the controls to sense user's input, such as potentiometers in the case of (B) and (C). Pressure sensing can be used to detect when users deform the elastic parts of the controls, like when they push the star. The graph behind this model shows the sensed pressure signal. We also use pressure to provide variable activation force capabilities. We explore 3D printing physical controls whose tactile response can be manipulated programmatically through pneumatic actuation. In particular, by manipulating the internal air pressure of various pneumatic elements, we can create mechanisms that require different levels of actuation force and can also change their shape. We introduce and discuss a series of example 3D printed pneumatic controls, which demonstrate the feasibility of our approach. This includes conventional controls, such as buttons, knobs and sliders, but also extends to domains such as toys and deformable interfaces. We describe the challenges that we faced and the methods that we used to overcome some of the limitations of current 3D printing technology. We conclude with example applications and thoughts on future avenues of research.
Vázquez et al. REF introduced dials embedding pneumatic actuation to enable the programming of different levels of actuation force from users.
3D Printing Pneumatic Device Controls with Variable Activation Force Capabilities
Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Computer Science