Inflatable systems have been attracting attention in the field of interaction design. Conventional tabletop-sized pneumatic systems tend to be complex because they require bulky and noisy equipment. Therefore, several liquid-to-gas phase change actuators that use vaporization have been proposed. But these actuators have problems with controllability, reusability, and reconfigurability. In this study, we propose InflatableMod, novel inflatable modules based on the efficient control of liquid-to-gas phase change actuators. These are designed with a compact circuit that has a liquid transfer function to feed the required amount of low-boiling-point liquid into the pouch and a heating function to inflate the pouch by the volume change. This approach allows for a compact, silent, and untethered inflatable system. It is also possible to create an untethered and reconfigurable multi-inflatable system because each module is synchronized. In this paper, we propose the design of the modules, evaluate their performance, and present application scenarios.

Physical interfaces that change appearance by controlling transparency have attracted attention for wide applicability. However, many existing methods are limited to planar objects, and it is difficult to control transparency in three-dimensional objects and to control transparency continuously. In this study, we propose a novel method to control the transparency of three-dimensional objects by utilizing the mechanical emulsification phenomenon of liquid. This approach is to fill the object with two transparent liquids that are liquid-liquid phase separated and agitate the liquids inside the object to make them cloudy and control their transparency. By using electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumps, which can be freely positioned inside the object, to agitate the liquid, it is possible to control the transparency of complex three-dimensional objects. Continuous control is also achieved by changing the ratio of the two liquids. In this paper, we describe the details of proposed method for controlling the transparency and show application scenarios.