FOLDING SHEET MATERIALS FOR SURFACE DESIGN

Other possibilities of SCOBY have been tested by discovering how this surface responds to different folding techniques. The tea mushroom is flexible, unbreakable and does not tear, so it was easy to work with this surface, the interaction of the obtained results with light and the nuances of color gave this material even more charm. These experiments later grew into a larger project in which we worked with Erzsébet Rozália Szabolcs, to create a prototype pneumatic object simulating mimosa leaf movement. We were inspired by MIT Media Lab's Aeromorph project, which explores how origami is made from a variety of inflatable materials. In addition, we have developed a new and natural bonding technique for tea fungus surfaces using only natural ingredients such as gelatin, glycerin and water. The end result is a speculative object of light that is inflated by hand (using an air pump); it is possible to control its light intensity and color.