foamation - light design

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Foamation, an experimental product design project. The inspiration is trying to apply the technique of laser cutting on a soft material and creating a unique and elegant structure.

I took advantage of the laser cutter to make some patterns on the foam paper then it could be easily folded and tightened up with lines. Unlike plywood, applying laser cutting on foam material will not burn the material. Instead of having dark outlines, it could stay clean and sharp on the cutting paths. Whereas the power requirement of cutting foam material is relatively lower than regular ones, it is eligible to be rapidly produced.

Due to the soft and elastic features of the foam sheet, the structure can be both steady and flexible, making it easy to maintain the shape without loosening. This particular structure allows the light to pass through the holes and spread on the entire foam material. The shape it creates is just like a blooming flower which could be a nice decoration for rooms whenever under the sunlight or shining at night.

“Foamation”是一項實驗性產品設計專案，其名稱的概念是由 “foam”（發泡材）與 “formation”（構成）所組成。

一般雷射切割技術大多使用在硬質板材上，此次我想嘗試將雷射切割應用在柔軟的材料上，並使用不同的組合折疊方式創造出更加多變的造型。利用雷射在EVA發泡材上切割出圖樣，便能輕易折疊，並可以使用透明線串連組合起整個部件。

與切割木質材料（如膠合板）不同，使用雷射切割EVA發泡材並不會造成焦痕與毛邊，反而邊緣十分俐落且乾淨。

由於此材料雷射切割所需的瓦數不高，切出整個部件只需要不到3分鐘的時間，與一般的雷射切割物件相比耗時較低且可以大量生產。EVA發泡材特性柔軟易彎曲，但同時也具有足夠的彈性，因此可以輕易塑造出堅挺的立體造型。多孔與多曲面的結構設計使光線能夠從小洞與縫隙中透出，並擴散在整個材料上。成品外觀就像盛開的花朵一般，無論白天夜晚，都可以為空間增添一絲律動的美感。