Crafting Interactive Paper
This adaptability makes papermaking an ideal process for crafting computational composites for tangible interactions. In this project, we proposed new ways of integrating different functional physical materials into paper’s structure through traditional papermaking. With this, we demonstrate how paper as an ancient composite can be used for interactive and tangible interfaces.
Qian Ye
Sheryl Teng
E Ian Siew
Ching-Chiuan Yen
Clement Zheng
Assistants
Hannah Ang
Ho Cheng Ze
We began by studying ancient Chinese papermaking. The main five steps of the ancient craft are: (1) Pulp preparation: chop bamboo and float it in a basin; (2) Soaking: cook thoroughly over a strong fire; (3) Sheet formation: rinse and spread the material onto a bamboo screen; (4) Pressing: cover the sheet and press to squeeze out excess water; (5) Finishing: heat and bake the sheet dry on a hot wall.
We explored replicating this traditional process by hand, while simplifying the practice into five main steps with tools that were accessible to us as design researchers and novice paper makers.
We then adapted these steps to imbue the paper with interactive and computational properties, such as incorporating conductive materials during pulp preparation, modifying fiber properties through soaking, and customizing sheet texture through watermarking, multi-layering, and laminating with bioplastics.
Expressive Applications We combined these different papermaking adaptions into complex outcomes, demonstrated across these interactive applications