Working with Flexinol
This week’s exercise focused on experiencing the properties of Flexinol, as a material with memory that changes its physical properties when it’s affected by heat.
I decided to play with the concept of open/closed through the making of a paper flower. The first iteration (red flower) was not so successful since it was made using a very thick paper, as well as the geometries from origami generated a lot of resistance to the alloy.
The second iteration (yellow flower) worked perfectly; the paper was much thinner, and the folds help the Flexinol to change shape easily.
The Arduino code also allows to connect the pressure sensor and to control the moment in which Flexinol changes shape.
First Iteration – Process:
Second Iteration – Process:
Materials:
- Flexinol
- Paper
- Arduino
- Alligator clips
- Heating Circuit