Fluid Bag 2023-2024
PETG, ferrofluid, borosilicate glass, leather, prefab hardware
This bag is the result of grant funding provided by The New School's Student Research Award in 2023. I successfully created a ferritic screen that augments wearable accessories with physical movement. A hidden chassis displays dancing black liquid against the backdrop of yellow leather.
Using custom glass vessels, a vintage integrated Japanese latching relay, and 3D printed parts, I designed a machine to actuate movement from the liquid. Although simple, the design process was rife with challenges, particularly chemical challenges.
See more below:
My initial design idea drew inspiration from a pachinko machine. I wanted the beads of ferrofluid to descend randomly through a maze of glass pegs, much like the steel balls of pachinko or pinball behave. From my initial material testing I thought it was too risky. Ferrofluid was so oily and hard to suspend successfully in glass. The increased surface area and hard to reach areas of the vessel could pretty much guarantee contamination (i.e. ferrofluid sticking to the inside of the glass) from the factory manufacturing these vessels. I instead opted for a simplified cylindrical shape that would allow me to start designing the movement and actual bag while waiting for the parts to arrive from overseas.
My first step was material testing. I knew that if I couldn't get the ferrofluid suspended without sticking to the sides this entire project would be ugly and impossible. After doing research and extensive testing I found a process that worked. I baked the glass vessels for a number of hours in the oven, then created peroxide in situ using Oxyclean and distilled water. I further increased my chances of success by reducing hydrocarbons in the ferrofluid itself by using a heated stir unit. Once the vessels were sterilized I filled them with a distilled saline solution. This portion of research and testing took easily half of the time of the total project.
_________too cooked
not cooked enough_________
To actuate linear movement in a small amount of space I decided to design a leadscrew style assembly. I designed my circuit around a vintage integrated Japanese latching relay. This machine would slowly move the magnet on its two linear rails towards the ferritic display, engaging with the ferrofluid and causing it to gather in the center of the screen. Once it reached the end of its cycle it would trigger a switch and reverse its course, repeating indefinitely.
While designing and building this in Fusion 360 I did copious amounts of tolerance testing to ensure that the components and hardware arriving in the mail would fit into place exactly without being too loose or tight.
I decided to make a separate holder for the actual movement module. This would allow me to provide structure to the interior of the bag, while creating an opportunity to thoughtfully connect the machine itself to the view hole in the front of the bag.
The bag itself is formed by two interlocking pieces of leather and hand sewn together. The movement holder is inserted into the cavity of the bag and secured with two 3D printed cleats that provide an even surface for the bag to stand on while also protecting the leather from surface contact. An added wet formed lens secures the side of the bag to the internal components.
