LiquiFab
Crafting with Liquids in the Absence of Gravity

Project by

Moran Bercovici
Senior Fellow 2024–2025

This project aims to develop LiquiFab, a new method for crafting 3D objects by manipulating liquid volumes in a weightless environment. Several years ago, Moran Bercovici’s lab introduced the concept of Fluidic Shaping, a technique for fabrication of optical components by shaping liquid volumes. In the absence of gravity, the manipulation of surface tension allows to drive the liquid volume into a desired minimum energy state that corresponds to a specific optical shape of interest. In collaboration with students and colleagues, Moran will seek to expand the concept and explore the ability to use surface tension under weightlessness for the creation of unique 3D structures. Eliminating gravity is crucial for Fluidic Shaping to work, which is achieved on Earth through neutral buoyancy in a liquid tank. However, true weightlessness occurs naturally in orbital space flight, and as part of the project, Moran will also work toward demonstrating this concept aboard the International Space Station (ISS).