CompuMat: A Computational Composite Material for Tangible Interaction

Abstract: This paper introduces a computational composite material comprising layers for actuation, computation and energy storage. Key to its design is inexpensive materials assembled from traditionally available fabrication machines to support the rapid exploration of applications from computational composites. The actuation layer is a soft magnetic sheet that is programmed to either bond, repel, or remain agnostic to other areas of the sheet. The computation layer is a flexible PCB made from copper-clad kapton engraved by a fiber laser, powered by a third energy-storage layer comprised of 0.4mm-thin lithium polymer batteries. We present the material layup and an accompanying digital fabrication process enabling users to rapidly prototype their own untethered, interactive and tangible prototypes. The material is low-profile, inexpensive, and fully untethered, capable of being used for a variety of applications in HCI and robotics including structural origami and proprioception.