Concept Development
Our primary focus for this project combined mobility and metamorphosis to invite interactive play.
Inspired by the movement and transformation of caterpillars, we developed a concept for a long, segmented inflatable that could be pulled apart and reshaped using velcro patches. As a result of the scale, some of transformations would call for two or more people to collaborate to perform the interaction.
Inspired by the movement and transformation of caterpillars, we developed a concept for a long, segmented inflatable that could be pulled apart and reshaped using velcro patches. As a result of the scale, some of transformations would call for two or more people to collaborate to perform the interaction.
Planning and Prototyping
Since my partners and I often had to work on our own, clear communication was critical to our success. We gave daily updates of measurements, fabrication methods, and design decisions to track our collective progress and documented sketches and diagrams. We first developed a half-size prototype using nylon scrap material to test flexibility, air flow and strength.
Practice Inflation + Installation Rehearsal
Final Exhibition
Takeaways
Our intentions to create a playful experience proved successful — people took to the installation immediately and explored every way to pull, twist, and transform the sculpture. One thing we did not anticipate was the aggression and excitement some attendees expressed while playing, but it is impossible to design for all the unintended ways people will interact with an artifact or environment. If we were to take this project further, I would not want to limit the interactivity of the inflatable, but rather take steps to reinforce the construction to allow people to explore as they please.
