Make: Volume 86

THE ART OF ACTUATING LEAVES

Actuation was unfamiliar territory for me, so

I started searching for the type of actuation I

wanted to achieve; it quickly became apparent

that incorporating electromechanical structures

into fabrics was not a well-explored area.

1. PROOF OF CONCEPT

I began experimenting with different

techniques to mimic the actuating motion

for the leaves by hand. From a foam sheet I

cut a petal, and with a needle inserted thread

through the top, in the middle at two close

points, and through the bottom of the petal

(Figure

E

). By pulling and releasing the thread

I got a smooth and consistent motion of the

petal opening and closing. ...