Off-topic but maybe an interesting side comment: nature has also some very interesting structures that change with pressure. Pores in plants open and close by changing the turgor (pressure inside a cell) inside the cells lining the opening for example:
I have nothing constructive to add but there's definitely a crude/childish joke available with regards that title. It's really the only reason I stopped to look at the paper, which turned out quite interesting.
The way in which they use each cushion as a separate cell to create structure is reminiscent of plants which get their rigidity from the osmotic pressure that pushes against the cell wall, also known as "turgescence".
This seems like the sort of thing which could be adapted for amateur/DIY use.
It seems like you just need some hardware, which could be manufactured cheaply and easily, air-tight fabric, and a way of joining those.
I get the industrial / military / etc. uses, but I find the concept of anyone being able to build a temporary, usable structure in a custom configuration for a few hundred bucks a lot more interesting.
Still air is also a pretty good insulator, so if this were enclosed, it'd be a pretty good shelter even in colder climates.
It’s a smaller scale (and a different structure) but I recently bought a Vango Project Hydrogen tent which uses a single “air beam” as its main structure instead of poles. Actually there is still 1 small pole involved but it’s not part of the main structure.
That’s done to save weight whilst being more resistant to being deformed by the wind.
I wonder if that could be taken further with these small cushions to provide insulation as well as structure as you suggest?
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoma#Opening_and_closing