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is a undergraduate student in Purdue University currently pursuing his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and will be graduating in Spring 2019. Beyond academic courses he is engaged with, he also pursues research in the areas of Color Changing Metamaterials and Engineering Education. Coming from the Singapore, a country with high educational rigor, the latter area of research has been an interest and passion of his since high school as he always seeks new ways to the improve the education system in order to maintain students' passion and interest towards areas of study.Apart from academic and industrial pursuits, Wan Kyn also has a passion for Fine Arts and Design which has allowed him to gain a diverse range of experiences that have influenced him to develop creative and out-of-the-box solutions to problems beyond engineering. He has also been in numerous local and international exhibition displaying his artworks that seek to bring together art and engineering to create a harmonious hybrid.

This paper explores Mechxels — mechanical pixels capable of rendering text and images — with preliminary evaluations of their effectiveness using pre-configured optical character recognition. Leveraging switchable multistablility through a combination of pre-strain and shape memory during fused deposition modeling (FDM), Mechxels are passive and, at 1/16th the size of the previous iteration of bistable mechanical pixels, easy to manufacture, tessellate, reprogram and reuse. A Python program is developed to assist with the tessellation by using image processing to tessellate the image and providing an interface in which images are mapped to their tessellated equivalent in Mechxels. This minimizes trial and error and determines the physical size of the tessellation and number of Mechxels required. Without the need for constant external stimulus to maintain perceived value change, Mechxels have the potential to enable passive deformation-based color changing displays that actuate based on environmental stimuli, with applications in product design and interior and exterior architecture.

A key aspect of color change is altering perceived value or intensity. This paper presents a methodology to achieve value change through mechanical means via the deflection of bistable structures. We create mechanical pixel-based, reversible color change using 3D printed switchable bistability. Switchable bistability arises from the combination of pre-strain and shape memory, enabling us to access multiple elastically programmed shapes at elevated temperatures with fast morphing and low actuation forces, while retaining high stiffness at room temperature. Building on our previous study that achieved bistability through FDM printing with directional pre-stress, finite element analysis is conducted to design a pixel-like structure that acts as a unit cell with color change capabilities. Quantitative and qualitative analysis is conducted through image processing techniques in order to prove the viability of this approach to creating value change through geometric deformation of bistable structures. By leveraging this technique, there are numerous potential applications in fields including robotics, architecture, and interior design.

Wearable technologies draw on a range of disciplines, including fashion, textiles, HCI, and engineering. Due to differences in methodology, wearables researchers can experience gaps or breakdowns in values, goals, and vocabulary when collaborating. This situation makes wearables development challenging, even more so when technologies are in the early stages of development and their technological and cultural potential is not fully understood. We propose a common ground to enhance the accessibility of wearables-related resources. The objective is to raise awareness and create a convergent space for researchers and developers to both access and share information across domains. We present CHIMERA, an online search interface that allows users to explore wearable technologies beyond their discipline. CHIMERA is powered by a Wearables Taxonomy and a database of research, tutorials, aesthetic approaches, concepts, and patents. To validate CHIMERA, we used a design task with multidisciplinary designers, an open-ended usability study with experts, and a usability survey with students of a wearables design class. Our findings suggest that CHIMERA assists users with different mindsets and skillsets to engage with information, expand and share knowledge when developing wearables. It forges common ground across divergent disciplines, encourages creativity, and affords the formation of inclusive, multidisciplinary perspectives in wearables development.