Over the centuries, we've welded metal, beat it into shape, bent it, melted it. But until recently, we've never inflated. Now that too is possible, thanks to years of painstaking work by architect Oskar Zieta and materials scientist Philipp Dohmen, both researchers at Zurich's ETH (better known as Einstein's alma mater).
The two call their work Free Internal Pressure Reshaping--FIDU, for short. But the process might seem familiar to anyone who's ever blown up an inflatable raft. Zieta and Dohmen are exhibiting their process--and its promises--at next week's DMY Berlin International Design Festival, which celebrates cutting-edge design. But if you can't make it, here's a taste.