digital balancing dominika demlova
Digital Balancing
1 Project Aim 2 Design Concept 3 Script 4 Production T
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5 Comparison
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1 PROJECT AIM In today's architecture it is fundamental to
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establish the relationship of the use of technology
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and people. It is the primary aim of this project to explore the idea of defining the role of technology and softwares availiable to an arcitect as a supporting role in the design process.
While the designer defines all the parameters,
the software is able to help to find final geometries. However the fundamental role of the technology starts during the production process, where advanced tracking and scanning interagtive system based on a grasshopper script is able to optimalise the design throughout the process of production of architecture.
Fig. 1 Visual reference of Christian Kerez's design for tower in Zhengou China.
As such, the dialog between the designer and
technological system becomes a highly supportive feedback loop which guides the process towards the targeted geometry while appreciating and incorporating the 'human errors' created during the production.
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Fig 2. Target Geometry
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Fig. 3 Final Geometry
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2 DESIGN CONCEPT The concept for the design has been based on
fastened in space with a tensile member in such a
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connecting two grids with compresive elements
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way, that all the compresive elements would end at a parralel plane.
In this way the use of software gives the
designer the benefit of working within a margin or error, which should be ideally corrected by the feedback loop of optimasation of optimalisation.
Furthermore, the software is used to do
complex calculations to find the ideal locations of elements to achieve the targeted geometry.
Fig 4. First Iterations
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initial points
defining optimal point targets
placement of compresive element through VIVE guidance
fastening position of compresive element
bracing between points with 3d pen
planar connections with 3d pen
Fig 5. Feedback loop between design and production 10
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adjusting script optimalisation of next layer target points
guidance towards new layer target points
scanning points with VIVE tracker
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3 SCRIPT
Grasshopper script has been created to
design and test the ideal geometry based on the given parameter. In addition however, the incorporation of the VIVE tracker to input data through grasshopper to Rhinocerous, has
imagined. It makes the production possible and
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has created a bridge between the real and the
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enabled the guidance of the points. The interface
together with the human input defines the form. It also safeguards the structural standards of the resultant structure.
The developement of the script has been
divided into phases that are in accord with the production. 1. initial geometry setup points 2. connection of elements 3. creation of new layer points 4. scanning of points with VIVE tracker 5. optimalisation through galapagos plugin
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scanned points
new layer geometry
vive tracker scanning
vive tracker guiding Fig 6. Full Script 14
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optimising with galapagos plugin
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Fig. 8 Trigger on Vive Tracker set to scan points position
Fig. 7 Scanning of new points through Vive tracker
Fig. 9 Scanned points used to optimalise and update the
Fig. 10 Redefition of points in
script
grasshopper script
Fig 11. Actual scanned points of next layer with adjusted compresive elements
Fig. 12 Targeted points on next layer an ideal location of compresive elements 16
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Fig 13. Script adjustement
Fig. 14 New positioning of
to find the exact scanned
compresive elements
geometry Fig. 15 Optimasing new target points
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Fig. 16 Galapagos testing new points targets to keep parallel
Fig. 17 Guidance path which tracks discrepency of tracker and given point: top view
Fig. 18 Lenghts of compresive elements
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Fig. 20 Grasshopper grid setup
Fig. 19 Initial geometry setup through grasshopper parameters in rhinocerous viewport
Fig. 21 Definition of grid points
Fig. 22. Finding next optimalised
into organised set of points
point targets do the compresive element retains its lenght
Fig. 23 Further Galapagos optimalisation 18
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Fig. 24 Guiding from calibrated
Fig. 25 Guiding from calibrated
point to new layer target: Layer 1
point to new layer target from top view
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Fig. 26 Intergating VIVE Tracker into Grasshopper with the ability to save points in Rhinocerous
Fig. 28 Recorded points of layer 2, with visible discrepency and distortion of grid of layer 1
Fig. 27 Paths towards optimasied points in Rhinocerous viewport
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4 PRODUCTION
The production of the structure has been
human focused while the software acted as a supporting role to lead the design in the correct direction. T 
Compresive elements of ABS plastic sticks
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and ABS plastic 3d pen filaments as the tensile elements have formed the entire structure, including the inner bracings and as a glue.
The model sits on a ABS plastic base. The
production required two people to collaborate and manage the running of the guidance and scanning of points to define correct locations.
Already within the ideal geometry there is a
calculated inherent margin of error as a response to the natural human quality of impreciseness.
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Fig. 29 Production of layer 1 22
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Fig. 30 Fastening first layer of compresive elements on base
Fig. 31 Vive Tracker Enabling scanning of points and guidance
Fig 32. Scanning of created points
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Fig. 33 Finding location of new target point and the angle of the compresive elements
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Step 2. Planar connections with 3d pen
Step 1. Positioning Compresive elements
Step 3. Diagonal connections between compresive elements
Finalized layer
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Fig. 34 Top layer points in one line. Fig. 35 Top view to show distorted grid after adding a
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Fig. 36 Production of layer 2
Fig. 38 Use of 3d pen
Fig. 37 Layer 2 with diagonal connecctions
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Fig. 39 Finalised model
Fig. 40 View 1 30
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Fig. 41 View 2
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Fig. 42 View 3 32
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Fig. 43 View 4
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Fig. 44 View 5 34
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5 COMPARISON
Because of the human error involved, the
targeted geometry is re-adjusted throughout the production process. T 
the final output and initial calculated geometry.
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Therefore, an inherent discrepency exists between
The otimalisation parameter in this case
has been positioning new layer target points in such a way that a a planar furface would emerge. However, an error has been accumulated through the process, which the optimalisation with the given layer number could not mitigate.
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NEiso iso NE o NE NE iso iso NE iso NENE isoiso
NWiso iso NW o NW NW iso iso NW iso NWNW isoiso
SEiso iso SE SE iso o SE SE iso iso SESE isoiso
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Fig. 45 Axonometric views
ck
NENE iso iso front
back back front front
NE iso
toptop
top top
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back back bottom bottom
back NW iso top front
NE iso right bottom om right bottom back ck bottom SE iso
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right topNW iso SW iso bottom
SE iso SE iso NW iso NW iso
NW
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SE isoiso SE iso SW SW iso
Fig. 46 Front, Right, Left, Top view
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left left right right
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pnt
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front front
Fig. 47 Ideal target geometry
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Fig. 48 Scanned Geometry
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