Digital Design and Fabrication wenxi han
SLEEPING POD 743383 Semester One, 2016
ABSTRACT Digital design and fabrication is a subject introduce to digital design and workflow from ideas to the making of physical artefacts. (Lecture 1, 2016) For this semester, our group explore the material system of panel and fold from “pineapple“ to design a sleeping pod. This piece of work should address the following criteria: - A three-dimantional volume - The question of personal space - Sense of comfort and security - Fabricate with care and well craft - Proper material The design is divided into four modules: - Ideation - Design - Fabrication - Reflection By making the sleeping pod, we are expected to gain the knowledge of: - the principles and applications of analogue and digital representations. - how different types of representations can support design thinking, proposals and construction - contemporary design and the role of computing in design creativity - critical analysis and interpretation of design representation.
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sleeping pod
MODULE 1 Wenxi Han ideation
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THE PURPOSE FOR Module One Module One is an individual task for me to formulate design ideas through a series of empirical research. For the first week’s tutorial, I chose pineapple to explore the material system - panel and fold. Through careful observation and measurement of an pineapple, by drawing, sketching and digitaling model the system to explore its inherent rules and potential for design. The two key areas of focus were as follows: - How pineapple system work? and reflect to my panel and fold design by extracting useful ideas from the system. - How to design the object to satisfied user’s comfort and security level by analysising the personal space and the material use. The research will focus on the logic of organization and arrangement of material as a system. Besides, module One is also a good chance for me to get a bit familiar with the two main digital design technique - indesign and rhino.
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Panel and Fold, - Pineapple “Material: n, the matter from which a thing is or can be made system: n, a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network; a complex whole.” (lecture 2, 2016)
This object was studies in terms of its volume and how the pineapple system work as panel and fold. “Design documentation is an crucial element in the process of designing. In different industrial periods and with new technology comes new ways of designing and documenting” (Heath et al 2000). For this reason, the pineapple was measured using a ruler and initially drawn onto graph paper (as figure three and four shows) then 3D modelled (figure five and six) on rhino for a more clear, accurate precise representation. From the pineapple sketch drawing, I can find some basic idea for pineapple panel and fold, like the shape of pineapple panel is quadrangle with rough and uneven surface.
figure 1. Rhino modelling of the pineapple
figure 2 measure drawing for pineapple
figure 3 section drawing for pineapple
figure 4 section drawing for pineapple
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Principle analysis
The right side shows my analysing for the pineapple principles, which provide me some basic ideas about my sleeping pod design. How the analysing reflect to my design - both pineapple’s leaves and buds ramp upward above like a spring, wraping around as protect the inner side of pineapple, which can be reflected to my design for the security and personal space for my sleeping pod. - the sharp shape of the leaves and buds can make a sense of distance to people, which can be reflect to the design for the security. - the overlapping leaves which protect the inner surface of the pineapple, which provide a sense of security, can be reflected to my design.
figure 5
figure 7 The pineapple’s leaves are hard triangle shape, which can be folded.
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figure 6
The connection between buds trend to be upward turning, ramping above like a spring, wraping around the inner side of pineapple. The pineapple buds are quadrangle shape with uneven surface.
figure 8 The large size of pineapple leaves is overlapping on the small pineapple leaves which form the top structure of pineapples. Besides, the leaves is ramping upward to the top.
personal space “Personal space refers to an area with invisible boundries surrounding a person’s body into which intruders may not come. “ (sommer 1969)
figure 9 personal space. retrieved from http://www.iaacblog.com/ programs/seaweeds-of-light-defining-personal-space/
As Figure 9 shows, for average, the personal space for inticate zone is 45cm, the friend zone is 120cm, and the social zone is 360cm. Besides, I also did the analysis for my own personal space for different sittind position (bendign over and upright), as Figure 10 shows. The way to learn the location of invisible boundaries is to let someone keep walking until I complain. The following are what I find from the analysing. - Different part of body do have different rate of sensitive. For me, the back is more sensitive than the front. - Different sitting position may result to different the personal space, as the invisible boundaries for bending over sitting position are smaller, compare to the upright one. - Different people may have different invisible boundaries for personal space. My intimate zone for upright sleeping position is 47cm, which is larger than the average. My friend zone is 100cm, which is smaller than the average, and my social zone is 350cm which is smaller than the average. How my personal space analysing reflect to my design of sleeping pod: - The importance of flexibility in my design by shaping user’s own personal space to one’s liking and preference.
figure 10
the analysing for my personal space
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Concept 1 — defending system Defending system is developed for the pupose of protecting creature from the outsiders’ attacking. As head is one of the most fragile and functional parts for the human body, defending system must be established for the users to form a sense of security.
figure 12. inner structure without defending leaves figure 11. The overlook of second personal design piece
figure 13. folding buds process
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Figure 14. defending leaves
From my observation, I found that many people prefer to sleep upright, this means that, to have a nice quality dream, they should have supporter to let lace to lean on. This piece of work is design for this sleeping position and I made the middle part of paper leaves to be extra thicker. For this piece of design, the idea is mainly borrowed from pineapple’s leaves and buds, The sharp shape structure (figure 14) can be folded if the surrounding environment is safe. But if other people offend to user’s invisible boundaries, it can be opened and protect user. Besides, as the previous leaves analysis shown, the sharp shape can create people a sense of distance which keeps others away and increase the level of security. Moreover, the defending leaves overlapping each other may protect the inner side of the body. figure twelve shows the inner structure of my design piece without defending leaves. The idea gets from the skin of pineapple. The solid hexagon shape blocks connected to each other to become a protecting skin mask on the face. Figure 13 shows how each buds fold up.
Concept 2
— Adjustment As previous finding, different people may have different personal space. The ability of controlling surrounding environment can increase a sense of security. For this piece of design, the user can change the structure into any shape that he or she wants by developing their own invisible bountaries when they sleep.
figure 15. verticle expension of the branches.
The basic idea comes from the pineapple leaves. The branches structure can be expended in two dimensional ways (verticle and horizontal, as figure 15 and 16 shown ) and rotate in three dimensional ways (as figure 17 shown). It can be bloomed, or closed to form an enclose structure. When people feel happy to connect to the world, they can shrink the structure, if not, they can develop and control how much invisible bountaries people can invade.
figure 17. overlook for the third design piece
Besides, this piece of work also is available for different sleeping position. It can be used as a bed to lay on the ground, or like a hammock hannging on some supporter structure, or just sit as normal. This design allower wearer to have a control to the surrouning environment and hence feel secure.
figure 16. horizontal expension of the branches.
figure 18. the way of design system work
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Concept 3: — Armour Armor define as any covering worn as a defense against weapons. The armor provides user’s personal security, by solid surface, established a defense system.
figure 19. folding buds process figure 20. overlook of concept 3 design
figure 21. neck support (inner part)
The facial mask was gained the idea from the pineapple surface block, as shown at the left side (figure 19). I design the mask as a helmet, to protect user’s head, and it can be opened. The facial mask provides human sense of security from the ability of controlling environment (it can let people choose to see outside or not). The reason for developing a spine supporter (as figure 20 shown) is to let user has a better sleeping position, in order not to distort the spine. Otherwise may cause some difficulties in the future daily life, as spine controls nervous centralis which is one of the most important part of human body. Besides, while we sit and sleep, we may want upholder to support our neck. One of the particular circumstance is that when we napping on the desk, the pressure from the edges of desk will retard the normal biological activities in our chest portions, which may result in the difficulties in terms of breath. Thus I made a breastplate on the breast. (as figure 22 shown)
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figure 22. front and back inner elevation of the design
Reconfigured Object I was interested about the pineapple uneven surface with buds, so I recreated with them, I cut the A4 paper into pieces and create a 3 dimensional geometric shape interpretation by pineapple structural(Skin and Leaves) and principles. The principles of pineapple that I did analysis previously and use in the reconfiguration are: 1. Growing upward (Both pineapple skin and leaves) 2. Sharp shape (leaves) 3. Spiralling motion
figure 24. Top view of reconfigured object
figure 23. Side view of reconfigured object
figure 25. Object element
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Thomas bianchi & Wenxi Han
MODULE 2 Design
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The Purpose for Module 2 For this module, I worked with a group to design and develop the idea of a sleeping pod which based on the module one, object research-pineapple as previous shown. During this module, my groupmate and I focused on the effect that the sleeping pod will produce by researching the material and shape for the inside and outside of the device. By analyzing Thomas and my personal space, we developed our basic idea for the basic design concept - flexibility. We also developed our concept into digital model in the rhino, so it can be tested on the body. At the end of the module, we made a prototype to test out the design idea and get some familiar to the uni’s fablab for 3D printing and laser cutting.
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Sketch Design Development The Main Theroies of Our Sketch Design Development
figure 26. Rotatable Segments
figure 27. Flexible use by fixation to the furniture Figure 28. compact & Protable
For the fourth week for this semester, Thomas and I combined both of our design element and developed our module for the sleeping pod. (The process is shown by figure 28.) The improvement made to the design from Thomas, are significant in simplication and clear representation of idea rotation from the pineapple. With combined with my idea of flexibility in usage and personal space. The spiral shape wraps around the whole upper body giving the feeling of real personal space. The other improvement is the fact that it can be fixed to a table so it does not rely on the body anymore for the support. There are some studies for the futher development of sleeping pod which will be shown on the following pages
Figure 28. Design Development
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Refined Sketch Model (week 4) The Rhino model is created by polar arraying the separate segments along a spiral curve that encloses the body more and more as it moves from the torso to the head.
Figure 29. Perspective Head Area
Figure 30. Elevation
Figure 31. Top View
Figure 32. Side View
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Personal Space Development ANALYSIS: To analyse personal space we used ourselves as study cases. (Thomas, a tall European male and Wency, a short Asian girl.) We compared these ‘extremes’ to come up with useful observation and average. WE SET UP 3 GROUND RULES EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCES: - Different cultures (Asian culture is more subtle and private in comparision to European) - Different people may have different sensitivity regarding personal space. - Different genders may have different sensitivity regarding personal space. (men may have less personal space than women.) THE SIMILARITIES: - The personal space in bend over sleeping position is smaller than in the upright position. Probably because the arms serve as a boundary securing a certain personal space. - The head is the part of the body that needs the most security. REFLECTING ON OUR DESIGN: - The importance of flexibility in our design by shaping your own personal space to one’s liking and preference. - The head needs the most security to provide a sense of personal space.
Figure 33. Personal Space Anaysing
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Material analysis After the group meeting we have done on Week 4, we came up some basic ideas about the materials we would use in our design. The main properties of the materials are: - Strength (to support part of load from user) - Lightness (in order not to let the support structure fall down.) - Cheap (Enough money for students to manufact)
Figure 34. Material Analysis From the study of materials (as shown by figure 34), we found wood and polycarbonate are the suitable materials that we could use for the segments of our construction. Both are very strong and relatively light. However, after we visited Bunning Warehouse, we found that polycarbonate is relatively expensive. So we made some more consideration to use this material. Steel would also be an option, but could be too heavy. The material we would choose depend on the later study, which will be shown on the following pages. Let’s have a look.
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Joints analysis Different types of joints in combination with materials: The strength of the construction depends less on the material of the segements and more on the joints. The joints need to have the following properties: - Flexibility - Rotatability - Strength - A certain stir resistance - Manufacturability We analysed multiple joints but the most frequently used are the ball joint, the hinge joint and the rotatable finger joint, Most of these can be used with different types of materials. See most used joints on the left. For now we want to focus on the ball joint because it is the most flexible and rotatable which is what we are looking for. It can be also used with different materials. We are looking at the combination of polycarbonate segments with steel joints. (See images below). Futher research is needed to determine the right joint that matches all the properties we require. Figure 35. Common Used Joints
Figure 36. Other Joints
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Precedent Research Research From:
California: Stage Set for John Jaspere by AEDS/Ammar Eloueini (2003)
FLEXIBILITY - MOVEMENT - TRANSLUCENCY - INTERACTION - PRACTICALITY The California stage set encompasses a few very interesting concepts when it comes to using a structure with certain material properties to make a unique stage background. It exists of seperate segements made out of polycarbonate tied together with zip ties. This gives the structure its flexibility and allows the users to physically interact with it, giving it an extra dimesion. This flexibility also leads to practicality as the entire structure can be folded and put into a suitcase. The polycarbonate segments give the structure translucency and reflectivity adding to the emotional effects and experience using the properties of the material.
Figure 38. sheet flat The segements are tied together by zip ties providing the structure with an immense moveability and flexibility. They are flexible and transculent so the construction can take on different shapes and give diferent expressions.
Figure 37. performance
Figure 39. sheet flat 2
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Precedent applied to design FLEXIBILITY - MOVEMENT - TRANSLUCENCY - INTERACTION - PRACTICALITY
1 The spiral shape is adjustable so different shapes can be formed
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Polycarbonate segments can create a transculent and reflective effect
The segements can be placed above eachother making it portable
Figure 41.
Figure 42.
Looking at the key concept of the California set, there are a few that can improve our design: 1. Interaction through flexibility (the user can adjust the spiral shape to his/her liking making it more or less secure) 2. Interaction through material properties (the translucency and reflectivity of polycarbonate segments can create interaction with the surroundings by means of reflecting it, showing what’s behind it and playing with light) 3. Practicality for user through flexibility and portability
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Figure 40.
Design development (week 5) The segements are smaller which creates more joints and therefore more flexibility and strength. The polycarbonate segements add a vibrant effect to the model.
Figure 43. Front View
Figure 45. Ball joint Connetion 1 Ball joints are used to make for flexible and rotatable connections.
Figure 44. Persepective View
Figure 46. Ball joint Connetion 2
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Final design module 2 (week 6) flexibility in personal space Our final module 2 design is based on our main focus: flexibility. This flexibility allows the user to interact with the piece and create his/her own personal and secure space. (as shown by figure 47)
Figure 47. Design Personal space analysis
flexibility in joints Our final module 2 design has improved by taking a better look at the ball joints we want to use and how we can achieve succesfull joints. We constructed these in Rhino so we could 3D print them and use them in our final Rhino model. The ball joints provide the flexibilty we want to achieve our main goals.
Figure 48. The flexibility provide by ball joints
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Final design module 2 (week 6) flexibility in sleeping positions
The flexibility of the structure allows the user to create his/her own sleeping positions making the piece very user friendly and versatile. The sleeping pod is fixed to the table but can be moved freely around the body. Some examples for sleeping positions are sitting upright and bent over.
Figure 49. Multiple Sleeping Positions
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Final design module 2 (week 6) impressions and effects
Figure 50. Impression Joint Table
Figure 51. Impression segments Joint together
Figure 52. Impression Front Design
There are a couple effects we want to create with our design by using the repetition of the segments, using ball joints and different materials:
• The effect of the many (repeating the segments in a spiral form gives the simple concept a complex dimension) • The effect of the ball joints (The flexibility the ball joints provide creates the opportunity to create your own personal space and satisfy your own sense of security, playing on the emotios) • The effect of the polycarbonate material (this opaque yet matte material , especially in combination with the 3D-printed joints, gives the piece a futuristic feeling. We want to play with different colours of light hitting it, creating special effects. The material also provides an interaction with the surroundings through its translucent character)
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Figure 53. Impression back Design
Prototype We wanted to keep our prototype as close to our final model as possible. So we chose to use perspex for the segments to represent the polycarbonate, and we also 3D printed our joints. We did them in the Rhino and sent them to the fablab to do the laser cutting (perspex segments) and 3D-printer (ball joints). By combining 5 segments through 4 joints we created a segment of the 1 to 1 design giving a respresentation and testing for what it could look like.
Figure 54. Ball Joints and Segments
TESTING PROTOTYPE EFFECT The prototype immediately gave us some valueable feedback: •
Although the joints were surprisingly strong, they couldn’t hold the weight of the complete construction when it got bigger and bigger. The joints could not hold the weight of the perspex. Yet they were promising in their stirness and flexibility.
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The futuristic effect we wanted to create combining 3D-printed joints with translucent segments was to our satisfaction.
Figure 55. Physical prototyple
Figure 56. Design Effect When light hits the segments they light up like crystals
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Reflection on Module 2 The most thing we have learnt in Module 2 is about design process. Design is a graduate process, from the idea inspriation to the representation, there are many steps need to go, for example, the decision need to make to get different ideas and make the best result to the design, the research we did to get inspiration and knowledge about industry design, the fixing adjustment to improve our design. Besides, we also took this chance in advance to get familiar to the 3D printing process in the uni’s fablab to make our ball joints. The prototype design was not always prefect and it was more about a test, so we came up with some points we would like to improve, change or research a little bit more for the next few weeks: •
The prototype learned us that the joints need to be perfected to make sure they are strong enough to hold the entire structure.
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The segments need to be very lightweight to help the joints hold up the structure.
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We will need to do research about the joint with the table, what it will look like and how we will attach it.
•
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We will do material research to the cushioning part for the head. The final segments will probably have a cushion on them.
Figure 57. Perspective View for module 2
Thomas bianchi & Wenxi Han
MODULE 3 Fabrication
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The puporse for Module 3 The prototype for module 1 shows the direction the project was going. We wanted to do something with the spiral shape and flexibility. The seperate segements are based on the skin of a pineapple. Our precedent study learned us a lot. What we were really intrigued by was the flexibility and the interaction with the user. The artist shapes the structure according to his movements. A second discovery was the material used (polycarbonate). We liked the transparancy of it and the multiple effects it could create. Our module 2 prototype expresses our key focuse: flexibility. The segments are connected by ball joints which could form a spiral shape around the body. By doing this the user has maximum flexibility to shape it to his or her liking. Unfortunately we had a major problem. The ball joints were impossible to make strong enough to hold the prototype, let alone the design which would be a lot bigger and heavier. Feedback we got: • There is no clear structure as to how it should be used. • The ball joints are never going to be able to support the entire structure.
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MODULE 3 START Learn From Feedback
Option 1
We wanted a fixed point on the shoulder to make the useage a lot more straight forward.
Option 2
We still wanted to use the spiral shape but shorten it to create a flexible security.
Option 3
Option 4
We wanted to keep our main goal of flexibility so the fixed part consists out of 2 segments which can rotate to allow for multiple sleeping positions.
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Response reading week 6 Title: Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing Author: B. Kolarevic Year of publication: 2003
What did we take from the reading? Digital fabrication has changed the way we can fabricate and prototype artifacts nowadays, especially in the built environment industry. We have transformed from mass-production to mass-customization. Some essential digital fabrication techniques are: • CNC (computer numerically controlled) cutting • 3D printing We can produce nearly every developable geometry and surface we like through production processes like: • Cutting fabrication [various cutting techniques, such as plasma-ar , laserbeam and water-jet, involve two-axis motion of the sheet material relative to the cutting head, and are implemeted as a moving cutting head, a moving bed or a combination of the two] • Subtractive fabrication [involves the removal of a specified volume of material from solids using electro-, chemically- or mechanically-reductive (multi-axis milling) processes] • Additived fabrication [involves incremental forming by adding material in a layer-by-layer fashion, in a process which is the converse of milling] • Formative fabrication [mechanical forces, restricting forms, heat or steam are applied to a material so as to form it into the desired shape through reshaping or deformation, which can be axially or surface constrained]
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Application to our design How does the fabrication process and strategy effect our sleeping pod? The techniques we are most likely to use in our design process are laser cutting and 3D printing. We actually already have used these methods of fabrication and we will use it a lot more in the future. Especially the advantage to rapid prototyping our ball joints is a big advantage as these joints are difficult to get and in limited iterations. Laser cutting the segments of our design is for us an easy and quick way to get them in the shape we want.
Figure 59. A 3D printer, source: www.cticit.com
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Prototypes fixed part, optimisation We made different cardboard prototypes to pick the right curve for the shape of the head and shoulder, depend on the comfort level which brought from prototype.
Figure 60. Cardboard Prototypes
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Figure 61. The raised curve applies to the human body, photo taken by Bianchi
Figure 62. The medium curve applies to the human body, photo taken by Bianchi
Figure 63. The concave curve applies to the human body, Photo taken by Bianchi
We applied different curve to our body, and figured out the concave curve is the most suit to our later design for our sleeping pod.
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Prototypes joints, optimisation A lot of iterations on the ball and hinge joints have been made over the last couple of weeks to get it just right. This proved to be very difficult task but we learned some valueable lessons: • • •
There is a small margin with which the socket can extend over the ball before it will be too tight or too loose, causing the ball to pop out or not. The print quality has to be very high for the joints to be stir enough too hold some weight. The hinge joint could be printed in one go eliminating the need to use external material for the rotational axis.
Figure 64. Joints
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Development Rhino model
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
We used the curves we analysed as the best and modeled these in Rhino. You can see we also already thought about how we could connect the seperate segments to eachother. We wanted to slide the segements into eachother.
In week 9 we added a lot more detail to the way we wanted to connect the sgements. We slide the segments into eachother by making cavities. The model was send to the laser cutter to be made out of perspex.
In week 10 we added the final details to round up the Rhino model and make it ready for renderings.
Figure 65. Design Development Process
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Final Rhino model
Figure 67. Final Rhino Model Overview
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Figure 66. Final Rhino Model Detail
Physical model sleeping pod
Figure 68. Physical Model
We booked the fablab’s photograph room, and took different views of sleeping pod position.
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Physical model sleeping pod on body
Figure 69. Physical Model applys to body Photos for me taken by Bianchi 2016, edited by Wenxi Han
The supporting physical model part which applied to our body achieved most of our design goals (comfortable, sense of sercuity, flexibility and stability, etc.).
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Exploded view model
Figure 70
Figure 71
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Fabrication process (components)
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Figure 72
Fabrication process (assembly top part)
Figure 73
Figure 74
This sequence shows how the top part is assembled, step by step.
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Figure 75
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Figure 76
Fabrication process (assembly bottom part)
Figure 77
Figure 78
This sequence shows how the bottom part is assembled, step by step.
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Figure 79
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Figure 80
Figure 81
Figure 82
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Reflection on Module 3
The most thing we have learnt in Module 3 is about the fabrication process. Fabrication process is also a graduate process as design process. We developed the feedback which provided by our tutor and adjust our model into a new rational one, we made the cardboard prototype to test our new design to confirm the best curve which applied to user’s body. It is more about like an experiment. We designed our model in the Rhino and manufact in the fablab by using laser cutting and 3D printer.
The shame for the presentation of Module 3 was the ball joints did not print out in time. As we put too much effort on testing and optimising the ball joints with 3D printer, and the printing jobs were quite time-taking.
Despite the difficulty and stress associated with fabricating the model, using fablab to do our design work was a really wonderful experience for us, as we can get some idea about how industry design work from somehow.
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Figure 83. Perspective View for module 3
Wenxi Han
MODULE 4 Reflection
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Final presentation for our design model on week 12
Figure 84. View with different positions
Our ball joints was done in week 11, but unfortunately, they could not support the whole brunches, although we nearly spent our whole semester to work on them. Thus we decrease some of our segments. The imperfect brunches structure can still provide the sense of security (as the shaded segments somehow cover most part of user’s head) and the effect of futuristic and crystal outlook effect to the users, which reach part of our original intention for this part. For the week 12, we brought our completed object and weared black clothings for video filming. The professional working performance for the photography are quite enjoyable for both of us.
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“Craft in architecture is closely tied to detail, which is also being redefined with digital technology. Architectural detail, an architect’s means of introducing craft into buildings, is largely a product of the relationship of design to industry.” (Marble 2008)
This semester, from the design process, there are several major things that I have learnt from it. The first and the most important thing is, I have a deeper understanding of design process. How a product manufactory, from ideation to design, then to fabrication, to the final reflection, which can reflect to my future architecture design study subject to provide rational thinking of the design output. The second thing is, this subject also provide me an opportunity to get familiar to the digital design program and technology. With the learning process of this subject can be later apply to my future architecture design. The most benefit I have gained from this subject is, design is not an outcome for the sensibility only with passion, it is more about an outcome from the rational thinking with a long-term graduating process. The final product we produced out is the wisdom crystal for all of our group members, by the case study researching, the 12 weeks’ discussion and every failure we made and the refining step by step. We need to question and test about our personal space to have an outcome to design something flexible. We also tested our sleeping position, in order to determine the size of the model to achieve the wearing comfort. We had done much research about material and the joints to make sure our group’s sleeping pod is strong enough to support user’s neck and head in this way to achieve the ideal design effect – something looks like crystal, futuristic but safe. We did the case studies and object “pineapple” observation analyzing to get inspiration in order to build up our design model, refine and optimize our model.
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Design is a thing not only to achieve ideality, but more about to achieve humanity, as the product is manufactured for the purpose of using by human. And also, there are no perfect design in this world, design is an endless process. As at first Thomas and I want to design something with simple structure but is functional to solve 100 percent design problem for the sleeping pod. However, may be because our knowledge and skills seem that it cannot support our ideality and ambition, since we are not familiar with the area of engineering. The most shame of our group design work is the unworkable ball joints, make the substructure of the design fall apart, although we put our most effort to work on that part. But the main structure was fascinating and workable and achieve the goal as we want (support the user’s neck, changeable sleeping position, flexibility for personal space and the effort of futuristic and transparence, etc.). Besides, the subject also provides me a chance to learn digital technology programs, like Rhino and Indesign, from the workshop and also let us use the university’s fablab to manufactory our design product. As Deamer and Bernstein stated, “the development of digital fabrication, where craft is often considered to have gained a new life through the direct linking of architects to the tools that make the design.” For the most parts of our final product, we did them in the university’s fablab. We designed our thing in the Rhino program and sent them to the fablab. By using laser cutting and 3D printer, we can do something impossible to made by hand, thus the working probability for the manufactory is much greater. Like cutting the material of Perspex by laser cutting, and making ball joints by 3D printer (as ball joints is not available in most of Melbourne warehouse.). But also the fabrication by using fablab technology can be applied to my future architecture design, like making physical model by laser cutting and 3D printer, to show a much clearer, more accurate and creative ideation to the tutors.
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In addition, for this subject, our group also get familiar to the Melbourne craft shops, like Lincraft (to get our cover on the top of our shoulder supporting structure, belt and some screwing material) and also the shop “Eckersley” on Franklin Street in order to get some material for prototype testing material. Going to Bunning warehouse six times in two weeks in order to hasten the arriving of “Zenith 4x15mm Zinc Plated Round Head Bolt And Nut” was also a nice experience for us, especially after we found the bolt connected with the physical model well. Moreover, for this subject, working with other is a nice exciting experience for me. It is a great opportunity for me to learn from each other, both from the way of thinking and matter dealing for this subject, which lets us find more design opportunities for our design object. In conclusion, Digital Design and Fabrication provide me an outlook for design process, and make me feel a very strong sense of ownership over my project as the use of digital technology allowed me to achieve the desired outcome.
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Appendix
Additional notes: - Most digital figure from Module 2 are processed from original digital model files which provided by Thomas Bianchi. - My selfies were taken by Thomas Bianchi.
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REFERENCE 1. Kol arevic, B, 2003 “Digital Production” in Architecture in the Digital Age - Design and Manufacturing , Spon Press, London, pp30-54 2. Sommer. R. 1969 “Personal space: the behavioral basis of design“,Prentice-Hall,N.J. pp 26-39 3. California: Stage Set for John Jaspere by AEDS/Ammar Eloueini (2003) 4. Marble, S 2008 ‘Imagining Risk’ In P Bernstein, P Deamer (eds). Building the Future: Recasting L abor in Architecture /, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, pp 38-42
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