Abstract
This paper proposes a novel method of 2 dimensional shape display. Shape displays allow us to feel tile actual volume of the object, unlike conventional 2D visual displays of 3D objects. The proposed method employs a wireframe structure to present 2D or 3D objects. The wireframe is composed of small units driven by shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators. The drive unit is analogous to the agonist-antagonist system of animal musculoskeletal systems, where the SMA actuators serve as agonist and antagonist muscles. The force in the SMA actuator is controlled by electrical current. The drive unit is equipped with the locking mechanism so that it can sustain the external force exerted by the user as well as the own weight of the wireframe structure. By controlling the current into the SMA actuator and locking mechanism, we can control the angle of the drive unit. A chain of drive units enables presentation of 2 dimensional objects. 3 dimensional presentations are possible by collecting the chains of drive units.
