PneumaStool explores a fabrication method that combines tailored fiber placement (TFP) and soft pneumatic actuation to actuate a 2D chair into a lightweight, structurally performative stool. The aim was to integrate the structural advantages of fiber-reinforced polymers with the forming capabilities of inflatable structures.
This project was developed under the topic:
🧵 “TFP – Integration of Electronics and Soft Actuators”, following BioMat’s philosophy of “Materials as a Design Tool.”
- Soft actuators replaced formwork during deployment.
- Tailored fiber placement (TFP) was used to reinforce the structure after inflation.
- This hybrid approach enables complex geometries with minimal material waste and high structural performance.
I was responsible for:
- Designing the fiber placement pattern on a flat 2D chair layout using Grasshopper.
- Exploring patterning strategies to influence the structural and bending behavior during inflation.
Further work includes the simulation of the flat 2D chair with fiber patterns being actuated into 3D shape in replace of the conventional formwork, and how different patterns affect the shaping processing