LayerPump: Design and Fabrication of Functional 3D Objects with Built-in Electrohydrodynamics Pumps based on Layered Plates

Abstract

The development and widespread use of digital fabrication technology has facilitated the fabrication of 3D objects. By designing not only the external shape but also the internal structure and materials, it has become possible to add various functions such as sensing and actuation to objects. In this paper, we propose LayerPump as a novel design and fabrication method to create a pump function and a liquid flow path inside a 3D object using digital fabrication technology. Using a pump driven by Electrohydrodynamics (EHD), in which fluid moves in response to an electric field, we can design pumps with various shapes by creating an electric circuit according to its position and shape. In addition, we proposed a method of creating a layered plate structure to place the pump and flow paths at appropriate positions. Furthermore, we have realized a method to dynamically change the color, shape, and motion of objects by controlling the fluid flow using the EHD pump. In this paper, the design system, implementation, and applications of LayerPump are described in detail.