This project aims to develop a wearable device to assist visually impaired individuals in identifying obstacles when entering unfamiliar rooms. Using advanced distance sensors, it provides real-time haptic feedback, enabling users to map and navigate their surroundings safely and independently. This development has been guided by insights from visually impaired individuals themselves, with the goal of creating a device that integrates seamlessly into their daily lives. The primary objective is to enhance the quality of life for visually impaired people by promoting greater independence and safety without relying on a guiding stick. Existing solutions often fail to provide real-time and accurate information to the users. This wearable device addresses this gap by offering reliable distance sensors and immediate feedback through vibration signals, empowering users to navigate spaces independently and confidently.

Direct ink writing is emerging as a sustainable alternative to conventional 3D printing techniques, promising significant reductions in energy consumption. This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the optimization of DIW processes, focusing on the development and evaluation of various ink formulations to identify the strongest recipes for producing materials suitable forprototyping within a circular economy. A systematic methodology was devised to produce test samples both by casting and printing. For the
DIW samples, achieving a balance between the required ink volume and the output volume was crucialto ensure consistent printing. Iterative adjustments to the g-code parameters and air pressure weremade to fine-tune the printing process, resulting in the production of samples for mechanical testing. Three-point bending tests were conducted on both casted and printed samples to evaluate their mechanical properties. Stress-strain curves obtained from these tests were analysed to determine the flexural strength and overall mechanical performance of each ink formulation. Among the various recipes tested, Carob combined with alginate emerged as the strongest, demonstrating mechanical properties comparable to those reported in existing literature. Confirming its potential as a viable candidate for use in prototyping.
The findings of this research underscore the importance of optimising both material composition and production parameters in DIW processes. By successfully identifying and validating an ink formulation, this work contributes to the advancement of sustainable 3D printing technologies.

This project aimed to develop a biodegradable material that communicates its sustainability to consumers through its aesthetic attributes and to apply this material to shoe design.

In the current market, most biodegradable shoes do not express their natural origin through their appearance (tactile and visual properties). For instance, leather-like bioplastic material made from fruit waste, used by some shoe brands, mimics conventional leather with embossed texture, providing no indication to consumers that it is sustainable. While this approach of mimicking conventional materials might be effective for societal acceptance due to its familiar look, I strived to find an alternative approach.

Thus, this project starts with a simple question: What if a pair of biodegradable shoes looked "natural"? Would they communicate their sustainability through their appearance? Would they seem too wild?

To explore these questions, I embarked on the journey of developing biodegradable materials from scratch and constructing shoes with them. Through the research process, a Material Experience Vision was formulated, guiding me through the development of the material and the shoe design: I want people to recognise the material to be biodegradable as well as compostable through visual and tactile properties that people commonly associate with "naturalness" while maintaining their perception of quality. Additionally, I also want people to find the material to be interesting or unique to wear as a shoes with the propeties of natualness.

The research concluded with the evaluation of the proof of concept—a final prototype consisting of a pair of biodegradable shoes made from orange peels and mandarins. This evaluation focused on participants' perceptions of quality and naturalness, involving eight participants in the assessment.

This study investigates the integration of shape memory materials into bolster systems to enhance automotive seating design efficiency. By bridging the gap between morphing materials and seat ergonomics, it proposes a shape memory-based bolster adjustability system. Validation is achieved through the development of a working prototype, offering differentiation opportunities for manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) while improving customer experiences.

This research aims to design and simulate a hinge consisting of shape-memory alloys and polymers, which can be actuated along two axes. The hinge consists of a shape-memory body that is actuated externally by shape-memory alloy springs. To achieve maximum deformation, two small single hinges are made, of which the body has the shape of a plate and which are actuated externally by two springs. The two hinges are then stacked, where the second hinge is twisted 90 degrees, so it can move in two directions. Tensile tests of Nitinol wires were carried out to investigate the behavior. Shape-memory springs were manufactured with this Nitinol wire. Then, the springs were deformed, the temperature of the springs was increased in steps of 10 degrees C, and the force was measured at each temperature step. Simulations were also carried out and compared to the force tests. The best type of Nitinol was chosen for the shape of memory wires. A prototype of the hinge was built and tested. First, the small single hinges were tested, where the displacement was documented. The hinge was not deemed energy efficient. Finally, simulations were carried out for the single and stacked hinges, which showed that the results were similar to reality. Hereafter, the range of motion of the stacked hinge is determined.

This project explores the potential of a material system based on SMAs that generates haptic feedback for Visually Impaired People (VIPs). Since VIPs rely more than others on tactile information, there is a need for more natural and unintrusive haptic devices as the commonly used electromechanical actuations are often perceived as intrusive and less acceptable than non-vibrating feedback. SMAs emerge as a promising solution to address these challenges effectively, due to their inherent ability to create silent, organic sensations, while being lightweight, thin, and flexible (Cruz et al., 2018).

The aim of this project is to investigate the unique characteristics of SMAs and translate this into an integrated material system that could inspire designers to adopt these materials and revolutionize tactile experiences. The process had an explorative nature and included a research, form configuration and embodiment phase. Most current haptic systems based on SMAs have the limitation of small actuation ranges and/or difficulties in integrating them in soft material systems. Therefore, in this project, a soft integrated material system is designed that shows the potential of incorporating SMA and SE flat springs into an origami-paper textile to create haptic feedback.
By using the combination of the SMA-SE flat springs, an easy integration of the wires in the paper-textile is enabled and a two-way actuation is created with a displacement of around 16%. Through the use of the origami structure, the two-dimensional shape change of the SMA spring is transformed in a three-dimensional shape change creating rich tactile feedback that can be perceived passively as well as actively.

The sensations generated by the material system were easily perceived with the hands and the movement was characterized as natural, calm and gentle by sighted participants. This demonstrates that there is a potential for creating an integrated material system based on flat springs SMAs that generated haptic feedback for VIPs in a natural and new way. Additionally, based on all these findings, a guideline was developed for SMA wires with the aim to give an overview of all steps involved when designing a material system based on SMAs.

Anxiety is a natural “fight-or-flight” response that everybody experiences to perceived stress or threat. Even though it is a natural response, some individuals struggle with managing their anxiety levels in a healthy manner. Prolonged exposure to high anxiety states can lead to clinical anxiety disorders that negatively impact the quality of life, thus early interventions to reduce anxiety levels can help prevent the development of clinical level anxiety. Even nonclinical individuals can also suffer from periods of heightened anxiety state, so anyone can benefit from additional guidance with anxiety modulation.

This graduation project aims to create a wearable garment that helps with daily levels of anxiety modulation in a non-clinical setting by providing warmth and pressure sensations typically associated with Deep Touch Pressure (DTP). DTP is a form of tactile sensory input that is provided by holding, stroking, hugging and squeezing, which has been proven to elicit feelings of safety, relaxation, and comfort. Although there are some commercially available DTP wearable products typically in the form of a vest, they are often heavy, uncomfortable, or indiscreet as the DTP sensations are provided by additional weights or inflatables with hand-operated pumps. Since they are difficult to conceal, wearing those commercial DTP vests can attract unwanted attention from nearby strangers and further aggravate anxiousness. Instead, DTP sensations can be applied to the body in a noiseless, lightweight, and discreet manner by utilizing shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators in wearable garments.

The insights that formed the groundwork for this project was gathered through literature review in a wide variety of topics including haptic technology, affect regulation, and SMA. Deeper understanding of the intricate nuances involved with anxiety modulation were gained through self-reflection and introspection as part of the autobiographical design method. Although the insights gathered from introspection are rooted in subjective lived experiences, they can yield universally applicable outcomes based on genuine empathy and firsthand understanding that resonate with a broader range of users who experience similar or related difficulties with anxiety. Moreover, rapid prototyping and iterative processes were utilized to tinker with and learn about designing SMA based actuators for wearable garments. After fabricating several prototype iterations, each exploring different design variables, SereniSleeve was developed.

SereniSleeve is a fingerless glove sleeve that provides warmth and deep pressure sensations to the forearm. It helps users break out of spiraling anxious thoughts by providing on-body haptic sensations that they can focus on, enhancing their grounding techniques. User test participants experienced feelings of calmness, relaxation, and comfort at varying pressure settings. Users can intuitively activate the sleeve by clenching their fists during stressful or anxious situations, triggering one of three preset pressure settings depending on the user applied force. All the electronic components can easily be detached from the double-layered fabric sleeve cover for easy maintenance and washability. Based on the participant feedback, future work and iterations on SereniSleeve could further improve its overall usability and user experience.

Magnetic Soft (shape memory) Materials (MSM for short) are a form of shape memory hybrid in which the shape change is initiated by magnetic particles embedded in an elastomer matrix. When an external magnetic field is applied, these magnetized particles will align themselves to this magnetic field, straining the elastomer in a specific shape. Once the magnetic field is removed, the elastic properties of the elastomer pull the object back to its original shape.
This report describes the work done on the development of a 4D printer, in which the shape change of the MSM objects is programmed during manufacturing by controlling the orientation of the pre-magnetized particles in the still uncured silicone. An external dual extrusion system is used to mix a two component silicone during 4D printing, so that the material cures upon hitting the build plate, while staying liquid during printing. The goal of developing a reliable system capable of extruding and printing the highly viscose magnetic material was however not achieved, as the extrusion motors lacked the needed force and the system was not rigid enough to deal with the high pressures involved. Adoption of a new printer design in which the path from extruder to build plate is severely limited is recommended.
In addition, a literature review has been conducted into applications of generic shape memory materials (SMM), metamaterials and magnetic soft materials with the purpose to draw inspiration from proposed applications of these materials for a novel MSM application design. It was found that MSM applications showed many overlaps with SMM and metamaterials, but that there were also some gaps in the reported application proposals of MSM where SMM and metamaterials are currently used for. MSM could be a valuable material used for (haptic) communication and texture change. More (indirect) relations with MSM, SMM and metamaterials have been identified which could serve as inspiration for future projects.
Lastly, a novel demonstrator concept design has been developed that shows the unique fast and multi-directional characteristics of MSM, using the findings of the literature review and the use of the Material Driven Design method. With additional input from peer students in a workshop, the idea of a 3-way changing texture is proposed. This texture utilizes specific magnetization patterns in an array of MSM actuators to generate two texture variations depending on the direction of the applied magnetic field, in addition to a neutral state when the field is removed. Its feasibility is proven by small scale prototypes.
This project has been the second time this material has been researched at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at the Delft University of Technology, building upon previously delivered work and paves a path for further iterations on manufacturing and design of applications of the magnetic soft material.

Composite constructs made from gelatin methylacrylamide (gelMA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) have been proven as promising materials to form tissue equivalents which can be used to alleviate the problems arising due to damage of articular cartilage. Despite exhibiting an increase of compressive stiffness (up to 54 - fold) by synergistic combination of the two materials, as compared to gelMA or PCL fiber scaffolds alone, determination of shear properties of the composite construct remains unprecedented. The current study was aimed to comprehend the shear properties of the tissue equivalents made from gelMA or PCL fiber scaffolds. Direct shear tests were performed on composite constructs made from gelMA and boxed architecture of PCL fiber scaffolds with different fiber spacings to generate a comparative basis for shear modulus followed by computational modeling and analysis of the constructs to obtain a better understanding of reinforcing effect of PCL fiber scaffolds in gelMA and validate the experimental results computationally. Results indicate that shear stiffness of the tissue equivalent is dominated by the membrane elements of the boxed architecture of PCL fiber scaffolds which are produced by melt electrowriting (MEW). An association of increase in shear stiffness with decrease in fiber spacing for a given architecture has been depicted.

The materials we encounter in our every day lives already extend beyond the traditional materials of wood, metal, ceramics and glass. The characteristics and behavior of materials and material composites are continuously being tweaked. The introduction of new materials that can respond to inputs from the environment has brought about a new movement for material development and interaction design: computational composites. A computational composite is capable of sensing inputs from the environment, processing and controlling the consequent expression or formation of the material.
The aim of the thesis was two-fold: to design and develop a soft bodied mechanism inspired by the movement of a caterpillar, using a Shape Memory Alloy-based (SMAs) composite, and to design material concepts based on the qualities of the composite.
This was an explorative project, investigating the application of a bio-inspired approach and the Material Driven Design (MDD) approach to the development of a moving material.
The first phase of the project focused on uncovering the technical aspects of a SMA-based composites and its relation to a computational composite. To understand caterpillar locomotion, a thorough study on its anatomy and locomotion strategies was performed. A qualitative study on how
designers interpret caterpillar-like motion lead to four interesting movements, which were further developed in moving SMA-based composites from silicone and 4D printed textile.
One SMA-based composite was selected for further improvement of the mechanism to be capable of translational caterpillar-like motion.
The mechanism can also be interpreted and applied in other ways, and thus the experiential characteristics of the material were uncovered to define a material experience vision for further applications. Through a creative session and ideation phase three material concepts were proposed, suited for three types of user input on the computational composite: none, indirect and direct.
The ultimate purpose for the material would be to sensitize people to the idea of a world where materials move from passive objects to active elements in our daily lives. It is recommended to do more research on the composite and to apply the materials experience vision to applications beyond every day objects and into the more innovative field of computer interface design and human-material interaction.