Patents on the soles of your shoes...: Oh, patents! MIT's AeroMorph

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Oh, patents! MIT's AeroMorph

The future of bubble wrap and airbags might be linked to MIT's AeroMorph invention. An invention that subsumes programmable paper, plastic, and self-folding, origami-inspired, fabrics, that inflate. The video below shows the AeroMorph invention in action.

The AeroMorph invention is recited in the US patent US9777753B2, titled Methods and apparatus for shape control. A patent that recites how to control the shape of an inflatable object. Succinctly, an inflatable bladder comprises regions that are variably flexible. The bladder further bends in the regions that are more flexible. Depending on the embodiment of the invention, paper, fabric or plastic, the more flexible areas have creases, notches or indentations, allowing for varied shapes to form, including spirals, helices; or shapes that morph during inflation.

The Abstract of this invention is provided below, together with the patent Figures 11A-D, showing how depending on the angle of the same number of creases on the shape controller, different shapes are obtained, in particular a planar spiral vs. a helix. Thus, in Fig. 11A, the creases (e.g., 1103, 1105) are perpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis 1107 of the shape controller 1100, resulting in the bladder of Fig. 11B to form a planar spiral, when it is inflated. In contrast, in Fig. 11C, the creases (e .g., 1153, 1156) are at an angle different from 90 degrees, relative to the longitudinal axis of 1157, of the shape controller 1150, resulting in the bladder to form a helix 1161, as shown in Fig. 11D, when the bladder is inflated. In certain embodiments, Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) (e.g. 1108, 1109, 1158, 1159) might be included, which might be bonded together with the wires and paper.

In exemplary implementations of this invention, a shape controller controls the shape of a bladder as the bladder inflates. The shape controller includes a first set of regions and a second set of regions. The second set of regions is more flexible than the first set of regions. The shape controller is embedded within, or adjacent to, a wall of the bladder. When the bladder is inflated, the overall shape of the bladder bends in areas adjacent to the more flexible regions of the shape controller. For example, the shape controller may comprise paper and the more flexible regions may comprise creases in the paper. Or, for example, the more flexible regions may comprise notches or indentations. In some implementations of this invention, a multi-state shape display changes shape as it inflates, with additional bumps forming as pressure in the display increases. [Abstract US9777753B2]