Exploration of programmable foam: What characterizes a flexible 3D printed material?

Liboriussen, Jonas Bruun

4. term

Engineering Psychology, Master

2024

2024-05-31

71

Programmable foam is a new material made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). It may offer advantages over ordinary polyurethane foam, but because it is unfamiliar, it can be hard to describe to people without an engineering or 3D‑printing background. This study sought simple, shared ways to talk about how the material feels and looks. First, seven engineering psychology master’s students at Aalborg University completed a word‑elicitation exercise: after handling seven objects designed to showcase programmable foam, they produced 85 descriptive words, which were narrowed to ten through discussion and analysis. Next, 20 participants rated seven unique programmable‑foam objects using those ten descriptors. Only six descriptors were suitable for an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a statistical technique that groups ratings that tend to co‑occur. Using principal axis factoring with an oblique rotation (oblimin), the clearest structure had three factors: Firmness, a Squeeze effect (how the material responds when pressed), and a Professional‑looking appearance. Reliability, assessed with Cronbach’s α, varied across factors (α‑firm = .66, α‑squeez = .75, α‑prof = .7). Further testing and validation are needed.

Programmerbart skum er et nyt materiale fremstillet af termoplastisk polyurethan (TPU). Det kan have fordele i forhold til almindeligt polyurethanskum, men fordi det er ukendt for mange, kan det være svært at beskrive uden en baggrund i ingeniørfag eller 3D‑print. Dette studie søgte enkle, fælles måder at beskrive materialets følelse og udseende på. Først gennemførte syv kandidatstuderende i ingeniørpsykologi ved Aalborg Universitet en ordfremkaldelsesøvelse: Efter at have håndteret syv objekter, der skulle demonstrere programmerbart skum, foreslog de 85 beskrivelser, som gennem diskussion og analyse blev reduceret til ti. Derefter vurderede 20 deltagere syv unikke objekter af programmerbart skum ved hjælp af de ti beskrivelser. Kun seks beskrivelser var egnede til en eksplorativ faktoranalyse (EFA), en statistisk metode der grupperer vurderinger, som ofte optræder sammen. Med hovedaksefaktorisering og skrå rotation (oblimin) gav den tydeligste struktur tre faktorer: Fasthed, en squeeze-/klemmeeffekt (hvordan materialet reagerer, når man trykker på det) og et professionelt udseende. Pålideligheden, målt med Cronbachs α, varierede mellem faktorerne (α‑firm = .66, α‑squeez = .75, α‑prof = .7). Yderligere test og validering er nødvendige.

[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]

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