FABLab: Muscle Wire workshop

Saturday, I took an interesting Programmable Shape-Memory Alloys workshop December 13th at CCBC’s FABLab presented by Kelly Zona (left), an excellent creative educator.    I will post more documentation once I am able to setup the muscle wire device over the next few days.  We are using an Ardunio system to control the electricity along with a few electronic components.   The following is a laser cut paper shape that has the muscle wire threaded through the holes.  When the wire is electrified, it shrinks by 10%, when it released, it returns to it’s original shape- as long as you don’t shock it too much.  Pretty impressive material– though I am fascinated by this I think there are similar techniques that can be achieved with pulleys and levers, more work and more space, too.  There are many possibilities being explored involving robotics and experimental movement.  Wearable technologies is worth G-searching.