INFLATABLES
media.mit.edu/projects/therms-up
Inflatables Resources
About This Zine
License
This zine was written and created by the MIT Public Library Innovation Exchange (PLIX) and Kyung Yun Choi.
Learn more at plix.mit.edu
CC BY-SA 4.0
Share your experience running this activity on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @heyplix
puff
squish
puff
pop up
twist
fold
bend
You can combine a variety of seams, pleats, and fused areas to create different behaviors.
fused
inner folds
KEY
CONNECTING FORM TO FUNCTION
THE POWER OF AIR
Air has the power to push sailboats across the water, generate wind power, and hold up the weight of a 40-ton truck!
Pneumatic devices are designed to harness the power of air. They work by compressing air (or putting air under pressure ) to perform a function.
You might recognize some: airbrushes, jackhammers, and pipe organs!
Inflatables are pneumatic devices made of flexible, lightweight materials.
without air
with air
As their name suggest, inflatables function when they are filled with or emptied of air.
When you build with air, you �can make a �wide variety of unusual forms.
CREATE AND INFLATE
Cut shapes.
Seal edges.
Inflate
You can create your own inflatable using recycled materials! Shiny snack bags work well: high head fuses them easily.
Here’s one way to get started:
You can make more complex designs by using heat to add creases and folds. These alter the way your inflatable behaves.
For example, fusing the center of your inflatable will make it pucker around that shape. A diamond fold will make it bend �as air is added or removed.
Experiment with different patterns. The creation might inflate in unexpected ways!
How to remix this zine
➊ Save a copy to your drive.�File > Make a Copy > Entire Presentation
➋ Edit it however you’d like! Just be sure to retain the CC BY-SA 4.0 license on whatever you distribute!
➌ Go to slide 1, then select �File > Download > JPEG image (.jpg, current slide). �Do this 4 times, for each slide 1 to 4.
➍ Assemble the four slides together in a new Google slideshow or anything else where you can arrange the JPEGs. Arrange the on an 11” x 8.5” landscape sheet like below, with the images touching one another.
4
3
2
1
1
2
3
4
Option 1: Assemble & print yourself
Option 2: Print from dialogue box
➌ Select File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf)
➍ Using a PDF viewer (such as Preview on a Mac), �delete all non-zine pages.
➎ Switch pages 3 & 4 in the PDF (slides 3 & 4), �then rotate those same two pages by 180°.
➏ Use your printer dialogue box to Save as a PDF �(or send straight to the printer to print) choosing 4 Pages per sheet in the below Layout Direction.
Last step
Share your remixed zines and other materials at heyplix.mit.edu. Feel free to share on social media and tag us @heyplix.
Rotate 180º�slides 3 & 4