LayerPump: Rapid Prototyping of Functional 3D Objects with Built-in Electrohydrodynamics Pumps Based on Layered Plates

Abstract

The development and widespread use of digital fabrication techniques has accelerated the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) objects, enabling not only to design their shapes but also to customize their internal structures and materials to realize various functions. In this research we propose a novel design method to embed internal pumps and liquid paths inside 3D objects. We utilized a pump driven by electrohydrodynamics (EHD) of fluid migrating in response to an applied electric field. To arrange the EHD pumps and fluid paths in appropriate positions inside 3D objects, we stacked layered acrylic plates cut with digital fabrication tools such as laser cutters and cutting plotters. Using these embedded pumps, we can control the flow of fluid to change color, shape, and motion of the objects. In this paper, we detailed our fabrication techniques named LayerPump, and demonstrated its design space and application scenarios.