Reflatables: A Tube-based Reconfigurable Fabrication of Inflatable 3D Objects

In this study, we propose a novel fabrication method to create large-scale 3D objects by bending and piling up an inflated single polyethylene tube. A unique point of our method is that we can redo the design and reconfigure it using the same tube after evacuating the air from the object. To provide detachable constraints on the tube for bending, we developed a novel technique with a hook-and-loop fastener attached on the tube. We also designed software to convert 3D targeted object shape to the bending pattern of the tube. Furthermore, we implemented a prototype of a machine for the automation of the attaching process of the fastener on the tube. In this paper, we describe the details of the design, implementation, results and future works.