Playing Snake with a Pneumatic Display

A researcher known online as soiboi soft has developed a unique vacuum-driven dot matrix display that functions as both a suction gripper and a touchscreen. The display uses a flexible silicone sheet with cavities behind each pixel. When a vacuum pump activates a pixel via microfluidic logic circuitry, the sheet is pulled inward, creating a visible indentation. This innovative system, controlled by pneumatic "transistors," can hold its state even when pressed manually, making it potentially functional as a touchscreen with additional circuitry.

The display’s control system relies on pneumatic transistors that open or close air channels when vacuum is applied to a control channel. In its initial test, soiboi soft built a 16-pixel dot matrix display using eight control channels—four rows and four columns—multiplexed to control each pixel individually. The pneumatic transistors act like one-way valves, ensuring pixels retain their state. With added circuitry to detect touch, the system could be transformed into a fully interactive touchscreen.

Upgrading the hardware, soiboi soft improved the solenoid valve mounting system by attaching them directly to the back of the display board. The vacuum pump now connects via a Luer lock adapter for a cleaner and more reliable setup. However, scaling up to a 64-pixel display presented challenges due to warping in 3D-printed components, which compromised the necessary seals to maintain pixel activation. To resolve this, soiboi soft used a vacuum bag to flatten the printed parts on a glass build plate and annealed them at 60 degrees Celsius for several hours. Adding slightly raised rings around the sealing areas further improved the outcome. After addressing these issues, the display achieved better clarity and responsiveness, successfully rendering letters, numbers, and simple animations. Even basic games like Pong and Snake could be played, albeit with modest refresh rates.

While this project showcases a creative approach to pneumatic displays and microfluidic logic, soiboi soft acknowledges that the process of 3D printing molds and casting silicone components can be labor-intensive. For those interested in alternative methods for creating microfluidic circuits, other projects have explored different techniques to achieve similar outcomes.

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