FlexMaps: Computational Design of Flat Flexible Shells for Shaping 3D Objects

LUIGI MALOMO; JESUS PEREZ RODRIGUEZ; EMMANUEL IARUSSI; NICO PIETRONI; EDER MIGUEL; PABLO CIGNONI; BERND BICKEL

ACM TRANSACTIONS ON GRAPHICS

ASSOC COMPUTING MACHINERY

Lugar: New York - USA; Año: 2018

0730-0301

We propose FlexMaps, a novel framework for fabricating smooth shapes out of flat, flexible panels with tailored mechanical properties. We start by mapping the 3D surface onto a 2D domain as in traditional UV mapping to design a set of deformable flat panels called FlexMaps. For these panels, we design and obtain specific mechanical properties such that, once they are assembled, the desired 3D shape automatically emerges from its state of static equilibrium. FlexMaps can be fabricated from an almost rigid material, such as wood or plastic, and are made flexible in a controlled way by using computationally designed spiraling microstructures.