FURI | Fall 2024

Spatiotemporally Programmable Surfaces

Spatiotemporally programable surfaces is centered around studying how specific surfaces with specific characteristics can alter their shape over time. The idea of spatiotemporally programmable surfaces is the concept of human control over a surface’s geometry over time. The researchers will be studying the characteristics VytaFlex 20 and Dragon Skin 30 which are both rubber-like materials. Using 3D-printed molds, they construct shell-like surfaces, then use vacuum pumps to experiment with the shells and measure their deformation. In this project the research team aims to understand specific characteristics of materials that they can manipulate to result in ideal optimizations of these surfaces.