HEXY
AADRL Research Book | AADRL 2016-2017
Instructor: Theodore Spyropoulos Mustafa El Sayed Apostolos Despotidis Team: Yuan Yao, Yang Hong, Yuhan Li P1
P2
HEXY TEAM Y3
Yuan Yao, Yang Hong, Yuhan Li P3
P4
P5
Content 00. Preface ................................................................................................. p.9 0.0 Introduction 0.1 Framework 01. Background Research ................................................................. p.17 1.1 Self-organization 1.2 Autonomy 1.3 House Crisis 1.4 Case Study House 1.5 House Machine 1.6 House Reference 02. Relevant Research
........................................................................ p.39
03. Conceptual Development 3.1 Unit Inspiration 3.2 Voxel System
............................................................. p.51
04. Unit Prototype .................................................................................... p.77 4.1 Geometry 4.2 Pneumatic Robot 4.3 Skin Design 4.4 Actuation 4.5 Automation 4.6 Unit Transformation 4.7 Integrated System 05. Unit Behavior .............................................................................. p.153 5.1 Mobility 5.2 Units Climbing 5.3 Cluster Movement 5.4 Shape Changing 5.5 Space Transformation 06. Unit Cluster ................................................................................. p.183 6.1 Aggregation 6.2 Cluster Transformation 6.3 Cluster Orientation 6.4 Cluster Performance 6.5 Functional Cluster
P6
07. Unit Organization ............................................................................ p.237 7.1 Neighbor Condition 7.2 Internal Energy 7.3 Space Configuration 7.4 3D Construction 7.5 House Variation 7.6 Space Construction 7.7 Human Interaction 08. Thesis ................................................................................................. p.319 8.1 Thesis 8.2 GreenBelt House 8.3 House System 09. House Performance ........................................................................ p.339 9.1 Functional Landscape 9.2 Performative Cluster 9.3 Communication 9.4 Lighting 9.5 House Lighting 10. 24 Hours/ 1 Year .............................................................................. p.385 10.1 24 Hour Life 10.2 Year Cycle 11. Jury Review
........................................................................ p.439
12. Acknowledgement
....................................................................... p.450
P7
P8
Chapter 0: Preface In AADRL, the topic of “Behavior Complexity” has been explored in recent years. The main idea of “Behavior Complexity” is to view architecture as a time-based, changeable, and dynamic system that challenges the conventional idea of permanent and unchangeable architecture. The fundamental way of exploring “Behavior Complexity” is through prototype design combined with digital and analogue forms of computation in order to pursue a systematic way of designing. “Behavior” is to describe the movement and actions of agencies and materials achieved by robotic applications and control system, creating an autonomous agency that can response to various scenarios and self-organize. Following this agenda, the project integrates various designing process physically and computationally to further push the research. Physically, the project researches on the prototype design and material behavior. Computationally, the project builds generative and parametrical systems to create different system for controlling and organizing. The purpose of those approach is to present the possibility of a new thought of architecture which is autonomous, self-organizable, and pragmatically achievable. The project HEXY is exploring a hexagon based geometrical system which is also a unit based system. The unit is not only able to do single movement and transformation tasks, but can also collaborate with other units to form a larger group. The idea of self-organization and autonomous decision making give the units the ability to self-structure into architectural structures and creating spaces.
P9
Chapter 0 | Introduction
HEXY is a research project investigating the possibility of applying self-assembly unit system into residential House. The aim of the project is to provide an alternative solution for adaptive living in the near future when the unit agents are able to create organizations for architectural and human usage. ‘Geometry”, “Mobility”, “Flexibility”, and “Reconfiguration” are specifically explored in the research process. By integrating those aspects of the system, the project is able to introduce different unit and cluster behavior from low to high population, from simple to complex organizations. The project wants to visualize a dynamic architecture that the interior of the house is mobile and changeable instead of static. On unit level, HEXY is a transformable hexagon geometry unit which can change from hexagon to rectangle, triangle, and more, showing the flexibility of a single unit through its multiple transformations. By using membrane material and distribute the control systems on the outer skin of the unit, HEXY is able to show a prototype of lightweight and transparency. From single unit to higher population, the system is able to create different taxonomies of functional landscape as a combination of furniture, structures, and lighting systems. Each unit is inherent with the capability of transformation which enables the whole system to be either rigid or be soft and elastic so that the system is suitable for human usage and comfort. HEXY is also a self-aware and autonomous system which creates a responsive living environment between unit agent, human beings, and environment. HEXY proposes a new architecture that integrate space creation, autonomous awareness, and functional interchange.
P 10
[Introduction]
Fig.1 HEXY Prototype
Fig.2 HEXY House Model P 11
Chapter 0 | Framework
Pneumatic
Hexagon
Autonomy
Prototype
Communication
Mobility
Behavior Movement
Framework
Self-structuring
Self-organization
Organization Aggregation
House
P 12
[Framework]
Material
Skin
Unit
Reconfiguration
Interaction
Strategy Group Work Transformation
Furniture
Space
Space Making Performance
Scale
House Iteration
36 Houses
Human
Agent
Environment
Framework: The research follows a frame work which explores thouroughly the topic from behavior complexity to architectural program. The research is fundamentally based on the topic of autonomy, mobility, and self-organization, which lead to researches of prototypes, behavior and organization. The synthetic researches enables us to reach the final design of 36 houses.
P 13
Chapter 0 | House Ecology
Unit-Human-Environment Relationship
In Hexy, we think the house has a unique ecology in which the unit agents and habitants have a symbiotic relationship. On one hand, the unit agents define the space that human beings can live and rest. The units can compose living spaces, furniture, and envelopes. They can also transfer water and electricty. The multi-functional unit agents are able to provide human beings the habitable area. On the other hand, the unit agents have their own living environment like human. As the units are able to make local decisions, their behavior are also autonomous. Unit agents can sense the change in environment such as light, temperature, sound, wind, or moisture. They can also sense the human movement and habits to decide creating new spaces or move to another space. Units are also aware of the surrounding units in terms of structure elements, and roof elements. The human beings and agents themselves are also affecting the living environment of the agents. Therefore, in this new ecology, habitants and human beings have a symbiotic relationship that the habitants have to adapt to the agents and the agents will adapt to the human beings. [Fig.1]
P 14
[New Ecology]
P 15
P 16
Chapter 1: Background Research Autonomy, mobility, and self-organization are three essential background of the studio. Over years, the studio has been looking into these topics by developing prototypes. In the meanwhile, we choose house as an architectural program to integrate those cybernatic systems.Also, contemporary society are facing housing crisis with the increasing of population and lack of living space. We choose Case Study House as precedents of modern Houses to study different living spaces.
P 17
Chapter 1 | 1.1 Self-organization
“In biological systems self-organization is a process in which pattern at the global level of a system emerges solely from numerous interactions among the lower-level components of the system. Moreover, the rules specifying interactions among the system’s components are executed using only local information, without reference to the global pattern.” 1 -Scott Camazine Self-organization is the fundamental way how nature organize itself in biological and nonbiological world. It not only affects how cells, organisms, and animals create organizations and behavior patterns, but also affect how chemistry and physical laws create various matters and natural systems. In a self-organization system, multiple units can form clusters. One important feature of self-organization system is that the system does not need a leader or a central controller. The system is able to adjust itself on local scale. Thus each cluster can have its own behavior but still maintain the coherence with the overall organization. Moreover, self-organization is the invisible hand behind human society, affecting the social organizations, people’s flow, and group behaviors. Self-organization is an agent-based system which is featured with decentralized intelligence and local rules. In natural, agents with little intelligence are able to form complex organizations by following simple rules and communication with the surrounding agents. In biological world, swarming behavior is one of the most common self-organizing phenomenon. It is associated with collaborating and local rules. For instance, an individual ant is not able to do complex tasks, but a colony of ants can collectively achieve complex behaviors such as constructing nests, building bridges, and finding food source[Fig.2]. Even no individual ants are aware of the closest food source, a colony of ants are still able to locate the food nearest to their nest. In this example, the collective behavior of ants is able to optimize the problem solving process and achieve more complex tasks. In another example, groups of fish can perform shoaling behavior[Fig.3]. Similar size and species of fish swim in close but ordered organization. From this shoaling behavior, fish gets many benefits such as defense against predator and increase hydrodynamic efficiency.
Fig.2 Ants gathering around food source
P 18
Fig.3 Swarm of fish shoaling
[self-organization]
Self-organization is an important concept in our project and it changes the way how architecture construct itself. In a self-organization system, the architectural unit per-forms as the constructor and material, combining structure behavior and material be-havior in one unit. This new way of fabrication will not only reduce the time and energy of construction, but also enable the architecture to reconfigure and adjust itself after built. Self-organization indicates that the system can be aware of the surrounding environment and response to the external factors by changing its structure and organizing ways. In the Hypercell Project by a student team in AADRL 2014, the team used kinetic way to construct self-organization units. The HyperCell project unitizes the structure system. The designers describe the system as “responsive to changes through self-awareness, mobility, softness and re-configurability”.4 The project has no permanent form, but stays stable through dynamic changes. Each unit is embedded with sensors, mechanical core, and soft wrappers. The unit can communicate face-to-face with other units to make local decisions. When large quantities of units aggregate together, the system is able to create spaces in various scales [Fig.4]. The overall structure is based on the computer simulated models that are structurally optimized. Hypercell provides a good example of the self-organization architecture that we want to achieve. As the project is trying to use self-organization system for constructing houses, the self-organization system needs to not only include unit-to-unit interface but also introduce units to human interface as a way to affect the space, program, and structure of the house.
Fig.4 Hypercell Prototype and Unit aggregation creating different spaces
1. Camazine, Deneubourg, Franks, Sneyd, Theraulaz, Bonabeau, Self-Organization in Biological Systems, Princeton University Press, 2003. p. 8 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarm_behaviour 3. Pitcher TJ and Parish JK (1993) “Functions of shoaling behaviour in teleosts” In: Pitcher TJ (ed) Behaviour of teleost fishes. Chapman and Hall, New York, pp 363–440 4. Ahmed Shokir, Cosku Cinkiluc, Houzhe Xu, and Pavlina Vardoulaki. “Hypercell.” Hypercell. http://www.hypercell. co.uk/. 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomy
P 19
Chapter 1 | 1.2 Autonomy The concept of Autonomy comes from the autonomous behavior in nature. For example, when ants are in the situation of crossing a gap between two boarders, they can self-organize themselves to build a “ant bridge”[Fig.5] to achieve the goal of crossing the gap. Chameleon will switch the color of its body to the closest color of the surroundings, in order to protect itself from the attack of natural enemies. Therefore, autonomous behavior in the field of robotics means that the none-man manipulated robots will act without the outside commands but only through their own ability to understand the current situation and make decisions of actions depending on the understanding of the environment. Different from the concept of Automatic that the robots or a robotic system will act according to the only option that has been pre-programmed, autonomy allows robots themselves having free will to make decisions.5 A project called swarms of robots “transformers” can autonomously self-assemble with each other.[Fig.6] Due to the complexity of the diverse situations from the outside world, it is nearly impossible to predict and pre-instruct all the circumstances that are happening on the way of the robots achieving their task goals. Therefore, we need robots to have the ability to detect, judge, and learn. According to Rolf Pfeifer’s words, “autonomy means independence of control…Self-sufficiency, situatedness, learning or development, and evolution increase an agent’s degree of autonomy.”6 Once the robots’ ability of decision making is built, the only task for human being is giving the order of starting and setting the final goals for the robots, the rest of jobs will be figured out by the robots themselves. Autonomy will maximally increase the efficiency of solving complex tasks and liberate human labor force. The Nissan Intelligent Parking chairs are the chairs that will recognize their current positions in a space of an office, and know to roll back to their original positions from the random spots of the space autonomously.[Fig.7] In order to achieve this behavior, the chairs are tracked by four motion cameras situated at various strategic angles within a room. These four cameras are helping each chair to detect and understand its surrounding environment. Afterward, the cameras will transmit the information to the chair, and the computer on the chair will generate the route to destination. Lastly, the motors, wheels and batteries consisted in the chairs enable the chairs to have the mobility to finally move the original position.7 In this complete parking process, Nissan Intelligent Parking chairs well perform the concept of Autonomy by conducting steps of understanding environment, making decision of route and the final moving action.
Fig.5 Ants creating bridge
P 20
Fig.6 Swarms of robots “transformers”
[Autonomy]
Fig.7 Nissan Intelligent Parking Chairs in the office and its control system
4. Ahmed Shokir, Cosku Cinkiluc, Houzhe Xu, and Pavlina Vardoulaki. “Hypercell.� Hypercell. http://www.hypercell. co.uk/. 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomy 6. Understanding Intelligence, Bradford Books, 2001; with Christian Scheier 7. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3450111/Never-leave-meeting-room-messy-Nissan-reveal-self-parking-CHAIRS-offices-tidy.html)
P 21
Chapter 1 | 1.2 Autonomy
The benefit of the autonomous chair is the heavy work of moving chairs to their original positions never needs human assistance. All people need to do is giving a simple clap to trigger the chairs. Another autonomous example is the Roomba 980 Autonomous Vacuum Cleaner. For the first step of detecting and understanding the environment, Roomba 980 Autonomous Vacuum Cleaner uses Multi-Room Navigation system to create visual landmarks of the house from an embedded camera to make sure the cleaner’s path can cover an entire level of the house, and at the same time the navigation system helps the cleaner doesn’t lose track of where it is or where it’s been and the sensors to map and adapt to real world clutter and furniture for thorough coverage.8 After knowing the entire map of the house, the computer in the cleaner will generate which it thinks is the most high-efficiency cleaning pattern, meanwhile, the level of energy within the internal battery is being constantly evaluated. Once the cleaner runs continuously for up to 2 hours, then it will decide to move back to the recharging position to recharge and resume cleaning when the energy is full. Last but not least, when the cleaner detect there is a carpet or rugs, it will increase the performance of the cleaning motors to clean the hiding dust and dirt. House cleaning has been considered as nightmare for a family, especially for families with kids. But the App that developed by this Vacuum Cleaner Company named iRobot, provides the reality that people can actually even start the cleaning program from the remote place, just by clicking a button on their cell phone. House is complex. It is not only shown in the aspect of its constructions and process of space making, but also shown in the fact that house needs to cope with the diversity from the outside environment and various needs from the habitants. Due to the goal of the project is to build house that contains enough adaptability and flexibility to the environment and human behavior, it is necessary that the entire house and each single component of the house have the ability to react to the diverse influence from outside world, make decisions to solve the problems and conduct the solutions to achieve the goal.
8. http://www.irobot.co.uk/home-robots/Vacuuming P 22
[Autonomy]
Fig.8 Roomba 980 Autonomous Vacuum Cleaner and its route map
P 23
Chapter 1 | 1.3 House Crisis
P 24
[House Crisis]
House/Space Crisis In modern mega cities, the increasing population and lack of livable space make it common for normal people to live in very small spaces. Many young people has to dwell in a crowded room which they call as “house�. In their space, a furniture like bed or table will take most of the space. They do not have an opportunity to enjoy different ways of life and change their lifestyles. So what if we introduce the unit system which can replace the function of original furniture as a combination of furniture, lighting, and structure. The space structure constructed with the unit is are reconfigurable at different times of a day, a season, and a year. So the space can accomodate different number of people or become empty for entertainment. We think HEXY is such a system that can become an alternative solution for the living problem in the near future.
P 25
Chapter 1 | 1.4 Case Study House 36
Case Study House #22 Located at the top of Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, the Stahl House (CSH 22) introduced a new way of living during the 1960s. As an iconic modern piece of architecture during the twentieth century, the house introduced not only new way of construction, but also new perspectives about living. It is important to look at the Case Study Houses during the 1960s and reflect their valuable principles in the contemporary.
P 26
[Case study House 36]
CASE STUDY HOUSES are also described as “Modern California Houses from 1945-1962. The original idea came from the emerging new ideas of residential design and construction during WWII. The program was the outgrowth of discussions in the editorial office of Arts & Architecture where during WWII John Entenza and a number of relatively young architects talked about new ideas in residential design and construction that could only be achieved because of wartime service and reconstructions. Among them were Ralph Rapson, John Rex, Richard Neutra, Charles Eames, J.R. Davidson, Whitney Smith, Thornton Abell, William Wurster, and Summer Spaulding. The program’s announcement reflected their new ideas about residential projects. One famous example is Case Study House #22 at the Hollywood hill in Los Angeles. [Fig.9] The house is constructed with prefabricated steel beam and post, which is the industry renovation at that time. The house is open plan and transparency, overlooking the Los Angeles urban scene, which is a new life style. The technology and lifestyle synthetically shape the Case Study House 36 movement. ANNOUNCEMENT: “Each house must be capable of duplication and in no sense be an individual ‘performance’… It is important that the best material available be used in the best possible way in order to arrive at a ‘good’ solution of each problem, which in the overall program will be general enough to be of practice assistance to the average American in search of a home in which he can afford to live… the houses will be conceived within the spirit of our times, using as far as is practical, many war-born techniques and materials best suited to the expression of man’s life in the modern world . The program’s announcement indicated important new ideas of the housing project. Generally speaking, the program’s intention was to use the newest material and construction techniques to produce duplicable and affordable houses. It abandoned the idea of luxury houses and try to meet the standards of a large population. Reflecting on the special social context that a large number of people need to find jobs and have family times in post war time, it required the society to provide affordable houses. The program designed new lifestyles, and the houses were containers for the new lifestyles. In fact, the program is important not only because it invited many architects to design different houses, but also because it aimed to create material and construction systems that could solve social problems at that time. The systematic idea should be inherited into contemporary design field. In contemporary, computational technology and simulation techniques provide architects new opportunities to design houses. By identify the specific housing issues to deal with, architects should integrate new methodologies into architectural design. It is possible to design generative computer systems that can adapt to and solve different social problems.
9. http://www.artsandarchitecture.com/case.houses/ 10. Case Study House Program Announcement , issue of Arts&Architecture, Jan 1945
P 27
Chapter 1 | 1.4 Case Study House 36
CSH No.1
CSH No.1B
CSH No.2
CSH No.3
CSH No.7
CSH No.8
CSH No.9
CSH No.10
CSH No.16
CSH No.17A
CSH No.17B
CSH No.18A
CSH No.20B
CSH No.21A
CSH No.21B
CSH No.22
CSH No.26
CSH No.27
CSH No.28
CHA 1953
P 28
[36 Houses]
CSH No.4
CSH No.5
CSH No.6
CSH No.11
CSH No.12
CSH No.13
CSH No.18B
CSH No.19
CSH No.20A
CSH No.23
CSH No.24
CSH No.25
CSA 1950
CSA No.2
CSH 1950
P 29
Chapter 1 | 1.4 Case Study House 36
P 30
[plan, elevation, size]
P 31
Chapter 1 | 1.4 Case Study House 36 CASE STUDY HOUSES Case Study Houses aimed to renovate traditional house in terms of organization, structure systems, public/private relationships, material, costs, transparency and other modern issues. Different architects looked for different solutions to deal with those issues. The diagram below shows the underlying categories to evaluate housing projects. The same evaluation criteria can be applied to contemporary houses.
Organization
Structure System
Adaptivity
Transparency
Solid/void Space
Material
P 32
[Issues]
CSH No.26
Cost
- Affordable
Construction
Structure
- Prefabrication - Steel frame
Topograph
- Suspension
Light
Family
- Skylight - Multi-family - Floor to ceiling glass
Public/Privacy
- Open/Close space
Issues 1960s: During the post-war period, architects were seeking ways to rebuild people’s confidence about life. They aimed to use modern technology and material to build residential houses that are affordable to people. The houses should provide new solutions to cost, construction, structure, adaptability, natural lighting, family relationship, and public private space. Although the 1960s social context is quite different to the contemporary context, the issues will require contemporary technology and material to solve.
P 33
Chapter 1 | 1.5 House Machine
LE CORBUSIER, UNITÉ D’HABITATION, PREFABRICATED CELL, 1947
Case Study House represents general house ideas despite its usage of contemporary material and technology at that time. The ideas of a house are still related with permanent, protecting, and private. In modernism architecture, Architect Le Corbusier announced that “house is a machine for living in” from the 1927 manifesto Vers Une Architecture. Corbusier express the idea that house is a tool that we used to live and we live in those tools. He believes that House as tools can bring new order to human’s lives both of work and leisure. “A society lives primarily by bread, by the sun and by its essential comforts. Everything remains to be done! Immense task! And it is so imperative, so urgent that the entire world is absorbed in this dominating necessity. Machines will lead to a new order both of work and of leisure.”11 Corbusier’s Villas Savoye illustrates Corbusier’s idea that house is a machine for living in.[Fig.10] The house itself consists of ordered, precise components. The house’s ramp, stair, and window indicates a new order for work and leisure by revealing a sense of consequence from the architecture. However, the house is a static machine rather than a living one.
11. 1927 manifesto Vers Une Architecture (Towards An Architecture) by Le Corbusier
P 34
[Framework]
Fig.10 Machine for living in: Villa Savoye
Fig.11 Living Space Villa Savoye
P 35
Chapter 1 | 1.6 House Reference
House is conceptually a machine for Corbusier and modernism architects. The Case Study House 36 also followed this conceptual idea to design houses. However, what if house is really a machine, a machine that can move, change shape, and even it is a robot? More specifically, a living machine. After modernism, some more radical architects began to think house as real machines that can move and transform with interaction with its habitants. For instance, the Living Pod designed by Peter Cook from Archigram proposed a pod like House which is mobile. There are robots living inside the pod that help the habitants with their living. The pod is a machine and there are machines living inside it. The interaction between machine and human challenges traditional house ideas of permanent and tool-like service. [Fig.11] Another example from Archigram is the Cushicle and Suitaloon. The project proposes a house that is portable and attached to human body. The house has a frame that people can carry. They can inflate the house wherever they want. The lightweight, portable, and transparent quality bring new idea to personal house. [Fig.12] Also, Richard Rogers’ Zip House uses a modular system so that the house can change configuration by changing the module. The modular system enables the house to be fabricated in a short time and is flexible to change.[ Fig.13] The house use standarlized module and industrial material so that each part can be replaced easily and fastened quickly. The three reference houses indicate a new future of houses. House can be mobile and reconfigurable. The new possibilities are accordant to the studio’s intention which is to use a self-assembly and autonomous system to design a generative system. The generative system is a unit-based system that each robotic unit can communicate and work together to construct house spaces. Houses as an architectural program hasn’t changed much in the last thousands of years, but contemporary technology are accelerating the process of house revolution. The concept of self-assembly house is still in the near future, but our research intends to bring the future nearer to us.
P 36
[Framework]
Fig.11 Robot and floor plan of Living Pod
Fig.12 Cushicle and Suitaloon assembly photo and
Fig.13 Zip House model and concept drawing
P 37
P 38
Chapter 2: Relevant Research To realize the self-organization, autonomy, and mobility, it is important to be aware of the contemporary developing in technology, material, organization system in nature, communication systems and other aspects that may help developing the topic. So we research on various topics to understand the potential direction of the project.
P 39
Chapter 2 | 2.1 Inspiring Projects
Living Pod David Green (ARHIGRAM), 1966
Mobility
Expansion
Principle: Besides the Case Study House 36, other projects also imply principles for the adaptive housing. Archigrams, Richard Rogers, and Gillies Ebersolt’s projects reflect mobility, expansion, modularity, and adaptivity. The projects also provide some structure and material inspirations such as
P 40
Cushicle Michael Webb (ARHIGRAM), 1966
[Projects]
Zip-up House Richard Rogers, 1971
Modularity
Adaptivity
La Ballule Gilles Ebersolt, 1987
P 41
Chapter 2 | 2.2 Material
Shape-shift material: Designer: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - The material is programmed to change its shape, size, and stiffness, collapsing into a flat sheet that can be driven over before popping back up again
Shape Memory Polymer: Author: Prof. Wei Min Huang, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University - Shape memory polymers are able to change its shape and return back to original shape with heat, light, or chemical stimulus.
-
SMA Actuator: Designer: Kathrin SchlĂźter and Dr. Annika Raatz from the Braunschweig University of Technology - Magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMA) are a promising material for actuation purposes as they provide relatively large strains and relatively high operation frequencies.
P 42
-
[programmable material]
Translated Geometries: Designer: Iaac students: ramin shambayati, ece tankal, and efilena baseta - The SMP is able to reach a soft and flexible state upon exposure to heat above its glass transition temperature (Tg) of around 60-70°C, at which point it can undergo vast geometrical deformations. Upon reheating, the polymers then revert to their original ‘memory’ state of flatness.
Shape Memory Foam Designer: Carl de Smet - The project is a high-tech foam furniture that can be squashed to 5% of its original size for easy transportation and then expanded “like popcorn” by heating it up
Shape Memory Polymer: Designer: Zhejiang University -The polymer is capable of elastic deformation at the relatively low transition temperature of 55˚C, and plastic deformation at a much higher temperature at around 130˚C.
P 43
Chapter 2 | 2.3 Structure
Honeycomb: - A hexagonal structure uses the least material to create a lattice of cells within a given volume. The hexagon is also an example of geometric efficiency.
Ice Crystal Structure: - Two computer images of the structure of ice. The water molecules have been arranged, so that each oxygen atom is surrounded by four hydrogen atoms in tetrahedral geometry. Two of these atoms are covalently bound to oxygen, while the other two are hydrogen bonding with the oxygen.
Hexagon Closed Packing: - In hexagonal close packing, layers of spheres are packed so that spheres in alternating layers overlie one another. As in cubic close packing, each sphere is surrounded by 12 other spheres. Taking a collection of 13 such spheres gives the cluster illustrated above. Connecting the centers of the external 12 spheres gives Johnson solid J_(27) known as the triangular orthobicupola.
P 44
[Hexagonal structure]
Hexagon Skin Structure of Diatoms: - Diatoms’ skeleton is formed through cells. Cells are arranged closely to each other, causing the compression force among cells. The resultant form is a hexagonal structure which is selfformed.
Honeycomb Mobius: Designer: Joteru - Honeycomb (hexagon) structure can adapt to a variety of surface with minimal material and structural solidity.
Kirigami Honeycomb Fold: Designer: Polly Verlty - Kirigami is a folding technique that converts a flat piece of paper into honeycomb structure.
P 45
Chapter 2 | 2.4 Communication
Neuron Network: - Neurons are anatomic, functional, and trophic units of the brain. The neurons are the dynamically polarized cells that serve as the major signaling unit of the nervous system. The human brain is known to contain about 1 x 10^11 neurons, each being able to contact at least 10,000 other neurons.
Mycorrhizal Networks: - The way plants communicate between individuals is through fungi. Mycorrhizal networks (also known as common mycorrhizal networks - CMN) are underground hyphal networks created by mycorrhizal fungi that connect individual plants together and transfer water, carbon, and nutrients.
Cell Communication: - Animal cells have two kinds of signal transduction mechanisms. The communication occurs through chemical signals and cellular receptors by either the direct contact of two cells or release of a “chemical signals� (hormones) by another cell.
P 46
[Communication]
Ants Trail: - The more that ants walk on a particular path, the darker that paths gets. Over time, the paths either disappear or are reinforced by more walking. Ants locate food sauce by leaving stigma on the path to notify other ants.
Fish Swarms: - Swarm behavior is a typical collective behavior through local communication. Each individual only communicates with its neighbors. The behavior of the swarm is self-organizing without a central control.
Honey Bee Dounce: Bees use mathematical prowess to communicate the exact location of nearby food to other bees via a technique dubbed the “bee dance.� Bees utilization of symbols and gestures is rare in the animal kingdom.
P 47
Chapter 2 | 2.5 Mobility
HyperCell: Designer: Cosku Çinkiliç, Ahmed Shokir, Pavlina Vardoulaki, Houzhe Xu, AADRL - The mobility of HyperCell is enabled with a mechanical core and soft skin. The core is equipped with sensors, motors, and hydrolic actuators. The soft skin has magnet to connect cells.
OWO: Designer: Antonios Thodis, Camilla Degli Esposti, Ilya Pereyaslavtsev, Agata Banaszek, AADRL - A spring structure is surrounded by a series of air bladders that expand and contract, powering movement somewhere between a roll and a slither.
Petting Zoo: Designer: Minimaforms - The snake like self-aware robots adapt their behavior by using a Kinect to locate and map people. The body of the snake-like robot is made of soft material and muscle wires. P 48
[mobile system]
Meshworm: Designer: MIT, Harvard, and Seoul National University - Earthworms creep along the ground by alternately squeezing and stretching muscles along the length of their bodies, inching forward with each wave of contractions. Researchers created “artificial muscle” from shape-memory alloy that stretches and contracts with heat.
Soft Pneumatic Robot: Designer: Harvard University - The designer used 3D printed molds to cast the robot’s two halves in silicone, and those halves are sandwiched around a thin layer of less-flexible plastic. By changing the inflated area, researchers enables the soft robots to grip objects and crawl.
Air Muscle: Designer: Shadow Robotics - Air muscle is soft, has no stiction, easily controllable and powerful. It weighs as little as 10 grammes. It uses air to control the expansion and contraction. P 49
P 50
Chapter 3: Conceptual Development In conceptual development, we try to look for inspirations from either natural or biological systems to provide an insight to our project. We also developed basic simulation system based on voxels. The early stage exploration defines an general boundary for the project and enable us to focus on further developement.
P 51
Chapter 3 | 3.1 Unit Inspiration
Cell, Tissue, and Organ: A group of cells with similar structure and function form tissues such as muscle tissues, bone tissues, and neural tissues. A group of different tissues work together to form organs such like the heart, lung, and brain. The scale relationship among cells, tissues, and organs make an analogy to self-organization house. The units can form structures, envelopes, furnitures, and utility systems. They together create the house.
Fig.1 Vascular bundles in stem section imaged using bright field microscopy. Magnification is 100X.
P 52
[unit scale]
Scale: Unit to Unit Unit to unit scale explores the fundamental way of communication and connection of more than two units. It can automatically recognize its neighbor and decided how and what to connect and change.
Scale: Unit to Human A small cluster of units are able to become furniture like structures. The research focuses on the interaction between units and human. Soft and rigid system conversions will be explored to create ergonomic super-furniture.
Scale: Unit to House A large amount of units can self-organize to create spatial configurations, which is house space in this project. The units can form structures, envelopes, or the mixture and introduce new ways of transport water and electricity.
P 53
Chapter 3 | 3.1 Unit Inspiration
P 54
[unit morphology]
Man-of-War: Man-of-War is an unique creature which is not a jellyfish but is a siphonophore, in other words, it’s not a singular organism, but rather a colony of specialized minute individuals called zooids. These zooids are attached to one another and physiologically integrated to the extent that they are incapable of independent survival.1 It has a gas filled bladder that helps it remain and float at the surface of the ocean. The remainder part is submerged. The are not able to swim, so their movement is due to the currents and wind. The fascinating characteristics of the Man-of-War is their capability of self-organization and communication. Despite it consists of individual organisms, each organism can communicate with its neighbor and perform with the other cells in a collective way. The organism’s body changes its size and shape due to individual cell’s expand and contract. Its air bladder has folded patterns which influence the shape of the bladder. So Man-of-War is a nature morph of the “self-organizational House”. The project can learn from the characteristics of the Man-of-War in their organization, communication, and movement. The living methods of Man-of-War and the geometry such as hexagon in other nature forms synthetically influence the development of the project.
note: 1. Gerea, Alexandra. “Everything You Should Know about the Portuguese Man of War.” ZME Science. July 6, 2015. Accessed April 14, 2016. http://www.zmescience.com/ science/oceanography/portugueseman-of-war-06072015/.
Fig.1 Air Bladder of Man-of-War with pleated pattern.
P 55
Chapter 3 | 3.1 Unit Inspiration
TPU ball Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is any of a class of polyurethane plastics with many properties, including elasticity, transparency, and resistance to oil, grease and abrasion.
Clear Silicone Sheet The ultra thin silicone sheet is an elastic material. It relatively hard to get it in shape, but the material can change its size and covering area.
Polyethylene The primary usage of the Polyethylene is for packaging. It is one of the most common plastic. It’s strength is relatively low compare to the ETFE.
ETFE Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) a fluorine-based plastic. It was designed to have high corrosion resistance and strength over a wide temperature range.
P 56
[membrane material]
Pneumatic Actuated Membrane: Membrane needs to be pneumatically actuated to gain structure solidity and strength. The two examples show different strategies of using peumetic technique. The first example shows the natural inflation of the membrane, and the second example shows the folded to expanded structure. Both way will help deploy fast construction and shape changing. The material research will focus on the inflation and deployable structure of the membrane so that the unit can expand and contract, eventually get mobility.
Fig.1 Project: Siberian Photo (Re) Synthesis Erlend Bakke-Eidsaa, AA part2, 2008 Pneumatic actuated model
Fig.2 Project: P.A.D.S.: Pneumatically Actuated Deplorable Structures Jeremy Luebker, San Francisco, CA, US Pneumatic actuated model P 57
Chapter 3 | 3.1 Unit Inspiration Cells Membrane are soft and trasformable. Like cells in organisms, multiple cells can aggregare and transform together. When multiple cells are connecting to each other, their touching boundaries change shapes. The soft system can adapt to external influences such as pressure and tension.
Two cells inflation
Three cells inflation
Eight cells rectangular grid inflation
Closed packing cells inflation P 58
[Cell expansion]
Single cell expansion diagram
Three cells aggregation and expansion diagram
P 59
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Voxel Voxel Based System Simulation
Voxel-Based Geometries (Michael Hansmeyer) The project uses volumetric cells - voxels - as its basic geometry, these voxels contain data that can interact with data of proximate voxels according to pre-established sets of rules. By iteratively conducting these interactions, data can be propagated through the voxel space. Eventually this data can be visualized, either as individual elements, or as a hull surrounding elements with specific values.1 Two broad algorithms to control the voxel interaction between are explored: cellular automata similar to the Game of Life, and reaction-diffusion processes. In the former process, cells usually have only one of two states (on/off), the choice of which depends on the combination of the states of surrounding voxels. The latter process, reaction-diffusion, simulates chemical interactions between substances contained in the voxels. This process has been associated with pattern formation not only on a number of organisms, but also in the fields of geology and ecology.
P 60
[voxel geometry]
Fig.1 ellular automata by Michael Hansmeyer
Fig.2 Gray Scott Reaction-diffusion space by Michale Hansmeyer
P 61
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Voxel System
“Reefs” by Co-de-iT + disguinicio & co for d-shape This project thrives on the potential that emerge from a coherent utilization of the environment’s inherent ecological structure for its own transformation and evolution, using an approach based on digitally simulated ecosystems and sparked by the possibilities and potential of large-scale 3D printing technology. During the project’s Stage of Emerging Reefs, a process based on multi-agent systems and continuous cellular automata (put into practice from the theoretical premises in Alan Turing’s paper “The Chemical basis of Morphogenesis” through reaction-diffusion simulation) is implemented in a voxel field at several scales giving the project a twofold quality: the implementation of reaction-diffusion generative strategy within a non-isotropic 3-dimensional field and integration with the large-scale 3D printing fabrication system patented by D-Shape®.2 The basic strategy for the morphology generation is, firstly, build the institution of agent’s reaction to the pheromone trails influenced by the underwater currents, and the pheromones will spread through the fluid and be transported by it. And the configuration of the reefs will be developed in the areas with less chance of stagnation of pheromones. The morphogenetic process itself is then developed through the implementation of a differentiation process that progressively separates void (passage) areas from those occupied by the material. In order to keep integral and coherent with the field generation and fabrication logic the exploration of cellular automata algorithms seemed an almost natural choice, focusing in particular on reaction-diffusion for its properties of condition-based differentiation and articulation in space. [Fig.3]
FIg.3 REEFS project simulation system, voxelized geometry, and rendering
P 62
[Reefs]
P 63
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Voxel System
Gray Scott Reaction Diffusion: Since the Studio is high population units oriented, there are two options of computational simulation systems, the Voxel system and the Particle system. For voxel system, the project chose the Gray Scott Reaction Diffusion to be as the first trial of computational logic in the research. This logic was chosen because it has the features of gradient change, neighbor communication and in terms of patterning, it contains more dynamics than the logic of Cellular Automata, whose unites just simply have two states of living and death.
P 64
[Gray Scott reaction diffusion]
The Way of Neighbor Communication in Gray Scott: According to the two equations of two elements Gray Scott Reaction Diffusion, the essence of neighbor communication is transforming u to v value in every voxel in the grid. From the equations. The transforming rate which are Du and Dv are deciding how fast the transformation happens,however, more importantly, the parameter of F which stands for FEEDING of the u value in each voxel and the parameter of k which stands for KILLING of the v value in each voxel that are balancing the flow of the transformation in the grid and creating dynamic patterns in different degrees of continuity.
The Characteristic of Gray Scott Reaction Diffusion: The research started from setting the fixed initial condition, which is a white point in the center of a black background. The relatively higher u value was given to the white area at the beginning, so the whole grid could be activated from an unbalanced situation. And through the process from the unbalanced system to the balanced system, different patterns would be generated. And when different sets of parameter F and parameter K were attempted, a series of stable organizations were found eventually.
P 65
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Voxel System
Clusters Organization: From adjusting the parameters, it was found that in Gray-Scott Reaction Diffusion, voxels would aggregate as to be different forms of organizations, these organizations are called as ‘clusters’. The research mainly focused on 3 types of clusters, the Colonial Custer, the Mixed Clusters and the Continuous Clusters. These different types of clusters were achieved due to the matching of parameters of Feeding(F) and Killing(k). For instance, if the Feeding is relatively high to the Killing, the pattern would be shown as more continuous, if the Feeding is relatively low to the Killing, clusters appear to be more colonial.
P 66
[Cluster Behavior]
P 67
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Voxel System
P 68
[3D Stacking]
P 69
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Voxel System
Hexagon Grid: Different from the orthogonality grid, in which the neighbors of each voxel are arranged in parallel lines in two orthogonal directions, the hexagon grid only has one direction in parallel lines, in the other direction, neighbors are cross distributed. If we still use the orthogonal coordinate, which is also called the Offset Coordinate, it will be inconvenient to describe neighbors through index.
P 70
[Hexagon Grid]
Cube Coordinate: The Cube Coordinate opens up new way to look at hexagonal grid. There are three primary axes in Cube Coordinate, x,y and z. These three figures have the constraint relationship of x+y+z=0. The constraint ensures that there’s a canonical coordinate for each hex. So, the index of every hexagon unit could be deducted by know the fact that each direction on the hex grid is a combination of two directions on the cube grid. When behaviors are added to each unit based on the states of its neighbors, the Cube Coordinate is used. And it is feasible to switch between the Offset Coordinate and the Cube Coordinate for different purpose.
P 71
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Voxel System Behave for the GOAL: When the next step of the research was trying to build the computational system based on the logic of Gray Scott Reaction Diffusion, it was found that the characteristics of Gray Scott Reaction Diffusion were relatively much too depending on the flow of the data transformation, and the whole reacting system was really sensitive to the changing of parameters. Considering the goal that the studio would build the relationships in three different scales between man and robots, the project need to have a more manageable logic of its own, which also contains the sames features as Gray Scott Reaction Diffusion does, but more human control engaged. Inspired by the famous mathematical ‘Fitness Landscape Model’, which the opponents in the model will always move toward the higher energy containing region on the grid, it was put into consideration that the project needed to build a system whose units would behave for the given
P 72
[Goal Logic]
The Primary Goal: Here the existing images were put into the system, not only as to be the initial starting condition, but also to be the GOAL that the whole system tries to achieve. After the image was voxelized, in this case, the system was told that the brighter area will have more chance to have higher energy, and the voxel would be lightened only if its energy is positive. Because it was certain that the energy within the bright area will always increase, the given image then became
Negotiation with Neighbors: After setting the primary Goal, the degree of increase and decrease of energy to each hexagon was set as well. But the values of the degree are decided by the number of hexagon neighbors whose value of energy is above zero. And the degree of increase could be either positive or negative,
If the number of neighbors is 0 or 1, the degree of increase of the energy will be “-”.
If the number of neighbors is greater than 2 and smaller than 5, the degree of increase of the energy will be “+”.
If the number of neighbors is greater than 5, the degree of increase of the energy will be “-”.
P 73
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Voxel System Goal Oriented Pattern: Goal oriented organization means the units will try to aggregate on a predefined pattern. By controlling the energy of the base image, the units overlapped with the base image will have higher ability to live and bore than cells out of the base image.
Two points base image
Circle base image
Branch base image
Gradient base image
P 74
[Pattern]
Mobility:
Floating Organizations:
Apart from giving each hexagonal voxel the awareness of the energy of with in itself and its neighbors in a fixed place, each unit was hoped to have the mobility. So, in the project’s system, the unite can set off from a pointed place and move freely. While they are floating, they follow the rules of swarm behavior. The project really wants every single unit can aggregate as many organic behaviors as possible.
After enabling each hexagon unit the mobility, different forms of organizations are applied to them. The unit is told to recognize each vertex and edge of itself, and at the same time, knowing the position of the vertexes and edges of its neighbors as well. When the neighbors are getting close enough, the hexagon will adjust its pose at the moment and connect its right edge to the matching edges of its neighbors.
Linear Organization
Circular Organization
Packing Organization
P 75
P 76
Chapter 4: Unit Prototype Unit is the basic element that enables the assembly of large quantity. Each unit has its own mobility, flexibility, and self-awareness so that it can perform group work with other units. In this chapter, we look into the basic geometry and control system of a single unit. We integrate different systems such as mechanical, eletrical, air circulation, sensor and lighting control systems into the unit. So we are able to achieve a fully functioncal, integrated, lightweight, and transparent unit.
P 77
Chapter 4 | 4.1 Hexagon Geometry
Packing Structure of Hexagon: From the many polyhedron geometry, we choose hexagon as the basic geometry to develop. In nature, hexagon is one of the most common geometries which exits in many biological and non-biological forms such as honeycombs, water crystals, snowflakes, diamond crystals, epithelial cells in the eye, and diatoms shell, etc.[Fig.1] The reason why hexagon is so common in nature because of several reasons. One of the reason is its inherent symmetry in a plane. If the elements tend to self-organize in a plane and they want to connect to each other, the system is more likely to form hexagon form since it is the most efficient and costs lowest energy.1 For example, the diatoms shell consists of hexagon skeleton. When the cells are still soft, they are changing form and size to reach a balanced state. The result is the hexagon structure that each hexagon has equilibrium forces with surrounding hexagons. Another reason is that hexagon is able to build planar structures that can be divided into identical cells and minimize surface area. Since bees use their beeswax which are high energy cost, bees need to find a way to use minimal material for larger area. Hexagon works better than rectangle and triangle for that purpose.
Honeycomb Structure
Diatoms Shell Structure
P 78
Ice Crystal structure
Water Bubble
[Hexagon]
P 79
Chapter 4 | 4.1 Hexagon Geometry
Hexagon Grid: edge connection Edge connection is the most compact way of hexagon organization which is the most efficient geometry to create spatial structure.
Hexagon Grid: corner connection Corner connection is another way of organization by rotating the surrounding units of the edge connection 30 degrees around the conjoint corner.
P 80
[Hexagon Geometry]
Vertical Condition 2: In the second condition, the edge of the hexagon touches the ground, which not only enables the unit to roll in straight line, but also help it to stand by itself. So the research focuses on the second condition.
Vertical Condition 1: In the first condition, the hexagon’s corner touches the ground. As a result, the frames intersect at the middle of the edge. The corner prevents the unit to roll in straight line and is not stable to stand.
P 81
Chapter 4 | 4.1 Hexagon Geometry Hexagon Grid: edge connection The diagram shows the edge connection in two-dimensional and three-dimensional space. The unit consists of vertical frame and horizontal frame. In three-dimension, the frames can follow either edge connection or corner connection.
P 82
[Spatial Structure]
Hexagon Grid: corner connection In corner connection, three units form a stable structure. It can form into linear and circular organizations. In three-dimension, the frames can follow either edge connection or corner connection.
P 83
Chapter 4 | 4.1 Hexagon Geometry
Hexagon Frame Model The frame model consists of two frames intersecting at the corners. The frame can change angle to adjust the thickness of the units. Multiple units are able to form lattice structure which can change its height and porousity.
P 84
[Frame Model]
P 85
Chapter 4 | 4.1 Hexagon Geometry
Hexagon Ribbon Model The ribbon model consists of two ribbons intersecting at the edges. The ribbon provides support for the units and make it possible to roll. The ribbons has flexibility to changes shapes. Multiple units are connected ribbon to ribbon so that they can create a packing strutcure.
P 86
[Ribbon Model]
P 87
Chapter 4 | 4.1 Hexagon Geometry
P 88
[Mechanical Model]
Support Module Wheel Hinge Link Rod Panel
Link Rod
Servo
Servo Panel Connection
Support
Support Module
Hinge Panel
Link Rod
Servo
Panel Connection
P 89
Chapter 4 | 4.2 Pneumatic Setup
Soft Robotic In recent years, soft robotic application has been drawing a lot of attentions. Compare to mechanical robots, soft robot can have a more intimate relationship with human. Emerging fields of soft robotic are mainly researched on medical applications, search and rescue, collaborative robots, and biomimetic.[Fig.7] For example, air muscle that can bend simulates the movement of real muscle and can help disabled people to catch or grab things. Also, inspired from the inflatable robotic arm [Fig.6] in Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, the co-director Don Hall of the movie Big Hero 6 came up with the idea of Baymax, [Fig.5] a soft, inflated caretaker robot.2 However, Baymax is a soft robot, but it is still mechanically actuated except that it is wrapped with inflated skins. But researchers are looking forward to create more soft robotic applications because of their light-weight, flexibility, transformable shape, and safety. The soft robotics will have a promising future working with human beings. The main mechanism that works in nowadays soft robotic application is through the control of air chambers in the soft robot. By using soft material such as rubber or silicone, the designer can cast the material into the desired shape with specifically designed air chambers inside it. When the air chambers are inflated or deflated, the increased or decreased volume of the robot will elongate, bend, twist, and shrink the body of the robot, thus making the soft robot controllable and flexible. The soft robotic generally have several parts: the actuator, the air pump and vacuum, the air valve, and control system. The actuators are usually silicone cast parts that can change and move the robot. The air pump or vacuum supply and vacuum the air from the actuator to control its transformation. The air valves determine if the air can go in or go out of the actuator. The control system decides when the air valves and pumps or vacuum should operate or stop.
P 90
[Pneumatic Robot]
Fig.5 Baymax with soft skin and mechanical skeleton
Fig.6 Inflated robotic arm
Fig.7 Soft robotic application
P 91
Chapter 4 | 4.2 Pneumatic Setup
One major challenge with soft robot is its size. Unlike mechanical robot that can be very small, soft robot have to consider the size of air pump and air valves. The air pump and air valves will take considerably space and weight in a soft robot. If the air pump and air valves are removed from the robot and set externally, the pipes connected to the robot will restrict the movement of the robot. For the prototype, the air pump and air valve needs to be put inside the unit so that the unit can move freely. The size matters. So the research focuses on the optimization of air pump and air valves to reduce their sizes and maximize the output. In previous project like Delta and OWO in AADRL, the two project managed to integrate the air system into the prototype so that the prototype can operate in maximum freedom. However, the size and weight of the prototype becomes a real problem. Either OWO or Delta successfully controls the air flow and enable the movement of the units. However, the air pump and air valves they use take large amount of weight and space. In consequence, their prototypes have to scale up and weigh no less than the mechanical prototypes. In fact, mechanical prototypes are actually smaller in scale and lighter in weight. To improve from the previous studies to minimize the size and weight of air pump and valves, we decide to develop our own pump and valve.
Fig.10 Soft Robot with Chemical Battery
P 92
[MicroValve]
Fig.11 EMP valve mechanism
One project provides a good reference to minimize the size of air valves. In the soft robot designed by Andrew D. Marchese, Cagdas D. Onal, and Daniela Rus from MIT’s Distributed Robotics Laboratory. The robot has two distinctive features: (1) its “Pneumatic Battery” and (2) “the Electropermanent (EP) Magnet Valve. The Pneumatic battery uses self-regulate chemical reaction to produce stable pressure inside the robot’s on-board vessels. [Fig.10] The EPM valve is different from traditional air valves including PWM valve and solenoid valve. [Fig.11] EPM is Electropermanent Magnet which is programmable, like the electromagnet, but it does not require a continuous current to maintain its strength. It only requires electrical power to switch on and switch off the magnetic field, thus almost zero energy consumption.3 This particular technology makes it possible to minimize the valves’ size. In the project, the valve weighs only approximately 5 g and about 10mm by 10mm by 10 mm in size. The EPM valve provide our project the opportunity to internalize the air pump and the air valve and actually achieve the prototype with minimum weight and size. We also developed a micro air pump which as small as a 9V battery. [Fig.12] The valve is able to pump a balloon in less than 20 seconds and provides good air pressure in the balloon. This is pottentially possible to be used in the prototype so that the overall size of the units can be reduced by a great amount.
Fig.12 Small Air pump
P 93
Chapter 4 | 4.2 Pneumatic Setup
Clear Polythene
Latex Merit:
- Elastic - Soft - Heat Resistant
Problem: - Easy to break - Seal
Merit:
Problem: - Wrinkle - Heat deformation
Clear Polyurethane Merit:
- High Strength - Soft - Heat Sealing - Heat Form
Problem: - N/A
Merit:
Merit:
- High Strength - Soft - Heat Sealing - Heat Form
Problem: - N/A
From the material test, the Polyurethane material is ideal for the inflation purpose. It is strong and lightweight. The Polyurethane can also be thermo-formed to customized shape which helps to improve the accuacy of the inflation actuator.
- High Strength - Heat sealing
Problem: - Hard to inflate
Frost Polyurethane
Material Selection
P 94
- Lightweight - Transparent - Heat sealing
Frost Polypropylene
Silicone Sheet Merit:
- Elastic - Soft - Cast Shape
Problem: - Heavyweight - lack support
[Pneumatic Material]
Inflation Test: Clear Polythene - Fast inflation but the strength is limited.
Inflation Test: Latex - Continuous growing volume with constant inner air pressure.
Inflation Test: Clear Polyurethane - High strength with fixed shape after inflated.
Inflation Test: Frost Polyurethane - High strength with fixed shape after inflated.
Heat Test: Frost Polyurethane - Melting point 120 ° - Heat formable
Heat Test: Clear Polyurethane - Melting point 120 ° - Heat form
Heat Test: Frost Polypropylene - Melting point 115° to 120° - cannot heat form
Heat Test: Clear Polypropylene - Melting point 115° to 120° - cannot heat form P 95
Chapter 4 | 4.2 Pneumatic Setup
P 96
[Air Pocket Pattern]
Air Pocket Pattern The ribbon model consists of two ribbons intersecting at the edges. The ribbon provides support for the units and make it possible to roll. The ribbons has flexibility to changes shapes. Multiple units are connected ribbon to ribbon so that they can create a packing strutcure.
P 97
Chapter 4 | 4.2 Pneumatic Setup
Air Bag Manufacture The air pocket are customized with CNC mold. Each air pocket are manufactured from vaccum forming machine and then heat welded. The air pockets are also connected with 3d printed valves.
P 98
[Fabrication]
1.CNC Mold and Vacuum Form
2. Heat Welding
3. Heat Sealing
P 99
Chapter 4 | 4.3 Skin Design
P 100
[Ribbon Design]
0°
-15°
15°
0°
30°
0°
0°
15°
15°
Single Hinge
0°
0°
0°
-15°
15°
30°
0° 15°
15°
Double Hinge
Hinge Twist The units can transform into different shapes. During the transformation, the hinges connecting the ribbons will be twisted, pulled, and pushed. So it is important that the hinges are elastic and flexible for either supporting or twisting purposes. One single piece of hinge performs well on elasticity but less well in twisting. Double hinge can work very well for twisting. In our unit, twisting ability is more important to enable the transformation.
P 101
Chapter 4 | 4.3 Skin Design
Plywood Lazercut Hinge
Hinge
Softness: Twist: Elasticity:
Connection Rotation:
Plywood Lazercut Hinge
Hinge
Softness: Twist: Elasticity:
Connection Rotation:
P 102
[ Ribbon Design]
P 103
Chapter 4 | 4.3 Skin Design
Silicone Pipe Hinge
Hinge
Softness: Twist: Elasticity:
Connection Rotation:
Leather Hinge
Hinge
Softness: Twist: Elasticity:
Connection Rotation:
P 104
[Ribbon Design]
P 105
Chapter 4 | 4.3 Skin Design
3D Print Ninjaflex Hinge
Hinge
Softness: Twist: Elasticity:
Connection Rotation:
Magnet
Air Pipe
P 106
[Synthetic Ribbon]
P 107
Chapter 4 | 4.3 Skin Design
Hinge 3D Print Ninjaflex Hinge
Softness: Twist: Elasticity:
Connection Rotation:
Magnet
Air Pipe
P 108
[Synthetic Ribbon]
P 109
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
Unit Actuation
Compared with mechanical actuation, the pneumatic way is more flexible and efficient in unit transformation. We explore three different ways to actuation a single unit. However, not all the three way work well. The corner actuation works best in terms of maximizing the flexibility of transformation. The center actuation works well in opposite corner pushing and pulling but lacks the variety of transformation. The in-between ribbon transformation provides least flexibility in transformation.
Unit without Actuation
Center Actuation
In-between Ribbon Actuation
Corner Actuation
P 110
[Air Pocket]
P 111
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
P 112
[Ring Model]
Actuated Ring Model
As we decided to develop the corner actuated model, we first make the ring model to prove the concept. The ring model is half of the unit and is actuated at six corners.
P 113
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
Unit Rolling Movement
Corner Actuation Analysis
P 114
[Ring Model]
Ring Actuated Model
P 115
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
P 116
[Ring Model]
P 117
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
Full Actuated Model After the ring actuated model, we developed the Full Actuated Model which consists of two rings of air pockets. The model is featured with lightweight and transparency.
P 118
[Full Model]
P 119
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
Air Bag Control
Air Control Valve set 1
In this prototype, there are two sets of air circulation system. Each set of the air valves control 6 air bags. Within those 6 air bags, one air input pipe can control 2 air pockets at the opposite corners.
1. Silicone Hinge 2. Air Circulation Valve 3. Air Pump 4. Acrylic Panel 5. Air Pocket 6. Silicone Tube 7. Air Sealer
Air Control Valve set 2 P 120
[Air Control System]
1
2 4 3
5 6
7
P 121
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
P 122
[Unit Motion]
P 123
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
P 124
[Unit Motion]
P 125
Chapter 4 | 4.4 Actuation
P 126
[Unit Motion]
P 127
Chapter 4 | 4.5 Automation
P 128
[Automatic System]
Automation The next level of prototype is to integrate air control system and electrical control system into the prototye and let the prototype to response to surrounding environment and bahace automatically.
P 129
Chapter 4 | 4.5 Automation
Air Pump and Air Valve
Air Vacuum
P 130
[Functional Ribbon]
RIbbon with integrated pipe path and soft hinge
P 131
Chapter 4 | 4.5 Automation
Air Valve
Air Vacuum
P 132
[Air Control System]
Air Pump
P 133
Chapter 4 | 4.5 Automation
P 134
[Air Bag Control]
P 135
Chapter 4 | 4.5 Automation
P 136
[Air Control System]
P 137
Chapter 4 | 4.5 Automation
P 138
[Single Unit]
P 139
Chapter 4 | 4.5 Automation
P 140
[Single Unit]
P 141
Chapter 4 | 4.5 Automation
P 142
[Inflation Control]
Inflation Combination
The control system can control the air pocket at each corner thus bring a variety of shape changes depends on the air pockets that are inflated or deflated.
P 143
Chapter 4 | 4.6 Unit Transformation
Unit Flexibility The unit’s capability of transformation goes beyond hexagon and rectangle. It can create a variety of geometries depending on how the corners change themselves and balanced with other corners. The flexible skin is important to enable these transformations. More importantly, the flexibility of transformation brings new mode of group work which can significantly increase the fabrication speed and moving efficiency.
P 144
[Transformation]
P 145
Chapter 4 | 4.6 Unit Transformation
P 146
[Transformation]
P 147
Chapter 4 | 4.7 Integrated System
Flexible Skin
Air Pump / Value
Carbon Fibre Skeleton
Polyurethane Air Bag
Flexible Band
Polyurethane Membrane
P 148
[Integrated System]
Air Pipe
Sensor / Light Control
Carbon Firbre Skeleton
Flexible Skin
Air Value
Unit System So we design a unit with different systems integrated such as the soft skin system, support skeleton system, light/sensor control system, flexible band connection system for elasticity, air circulation system, and air pocket system. With all these system embedded in a single unit, we achieve our goal to create a fully functional soft, elastic, transparent, and lightweight unit.
P 149
Chapter 4 | 4.7 Integrated System
P 150
[Integrated System]
Skin System
Skeleton System
Light/Sensor System
Skeleton System
Soft Hinge System
Air Actuator System
P 151
P 152
Chapter 5: Unit Behavior We think it is important that the unit can move around to find the right position and connect with other units to form larger body plans. Units also need to climb onto other units to create 3D structures. Single units has limited capability of move, but when introducing the helping unit and collaborate movement, the behavior pattern becomes more complex and efficient. Besides mobility, larger clusters present another behavior of transformation. Due to the transformation of individual unit, multiple units can present similar transformation but in a larger scale. Such transformation is crucial in creating different performative clusters.
P 153
Chapter 5 | 5.1 Unit Mobility Rolling Movement Rolling is the main movement method for single unit. During the rolling process, the unit needs to transform into different shapes as sequence. The sequence involves with different combination of inflated and deflated air bags.
1. 3 side inflation
2. 2 side inflation
3. 4 side inflation
4. 4 side inflation
4. 6 side inflation
P 154
[Rolling Movement]
P 155
Chapter 5 | 5.2 Units Climbing
P 156
[Two Units]
P 157
Chapter 5 | 5.2 Units Climbing
Climbing The climbing movement needs both units to transform and collaborate in order to move one unit onto the top of another. Because of the orientation, the unit has three ways to climb. Each way of climbing needs different transformation steps.
Climbing Method 1
Climbing Method 2
Climbing Method 3
P 158
[Climbing Movement]
Climbing Method 1
P 159
Chapter 5 | 5.2 Units Climbing
0
1
2
0
1
2
0
1
2
0
1
2
Single Unit Orientation
2 1
1
2 0
0
2
1 0
Step Count: 3
1
0
0
0 1 2
0 0
2
Step Count: 6
Step Count: 7 0
2 1
2
0
0
Step Count: 2
2
Step Count: 5
2
2
1
1 0
1
0
Step Count: 5 1
0 2
Step Count: 1
P 160
0
1
2
Step Count: 4
1
0
2 0
2
Step Count: 4
2 0
[Climb Strategy]
Single & Collaborate Strategy
A single unit has three orientations but it is uncertain whether it can achieve the destination with the right orientation. Thus it is necessary to develope collaborating strategy between units.
2
1
Helping Unit
The step count comes from how many isolated corner of the heaxagon there are along the path to the destination. One corner is count as one step. When the helping unit move to a place between the orginal unit and the destination, threre are two consitions, one condition will add one step more for the moving unit, and another condition will add two steps more for the moving units.
0
0 Step Count: 3
Helping Unit1 2
Helping Unit2
0
1
0 1
2
1
2
1
0
2
0
Step Count +2 = 5
Step Count +1 = 4
2 1
2
0
1 0
2
0
1
Step Count: 5
2
0
0
1 1
1
0
2
Step Count: 7
0 1 2
0 2
1
0
Step Count: 8
Step Count
A single unit’s orientation repeats every three steps. So if the original orientation is count as x, the step to achieve destination is n. 1. If (x+n)%3 = 0, the unit can achieve the destination without any help. 2. If (x+n)%3 = 1, the unit need to move one more step to achieve destination. 3. if (x+n)%3 = 2, the unit need to move two more steps to achieve destination. So the final collaorating strategy will be using helping units to adjust the orientation of the moving unit towards the destination with the right orientation. The right orientation is important because the units can only transform collectively when they have the same orientation.
P 161
Chapter 5 | 5.2 Units Climbing
P 162
[Assembly Logic]
Assembly Logic
We notice that the units will have three orientations depends on the initial state. It may not achieve final destination with the desired orientation. P 163
Chapter 5 | 5.2 Units Climbing
P 164
[Assembly Logic]
Helping Unit
The final collaborating strategy will be using helping units to adjust the orientation of the moving unit towards the destination. Thus with any initial orientation, the units can achieve the target with same orientation as other units. P 165
Chapter 5 | 5.2 Units Climbing Multiple Units Climbing When there are more than two units, the climbing strategy will be different. As the base unit cannot change shape to catch the climbing unit, it needs a passive strategy for the unit to climb up. We think a path will be a good option that helping unit will create a flat path for the other unit to cilmb.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
P 166
[Multiple Units Climbing]
P 167
Chapter 3 | 3.2 Single Unit Mobility
Multiple Units Climbing During the climbing, the helping units are only required of minimum transformation for the climbing unit to move. The strategy helps to save time and energy for the overall climbing movement.
P 168
[Multiple Units Climbing]
P 169
Chapter 5 | 5.2 Units Climbing
Column Construction Climbing strategy is essential in constructing columns. Column starts from the base. Multiple units can form the column base. Other units need to climb up and maintain the same orientation of the base. Constructing a column not only require vertical climbing but also horizontal movement. Horizontal movement help the column expand. The horizontal movement is similar to the vertical climbing because the units are connected with horizontal ribbons. Collaborating climbing strategy helps the units to achieve the construction with high efficiency.
P 170
[Column Construction]
P 171
Chapter 5 | 5.3 Cluster Movement
Linear Cluster After exploring the mobility of single unit, we think about a larger bodyplan that how can multiple units move together. One unit can move by rolling, but multiple units can move very differently. Linear cluster are created by multiple single unit connected end by end. Every single unit can transform independently so the whole body are able to create life-like crawling movement.
P 172
[Linear Cluster]
P 173
Chapter 5 | 5.3 Cluster Movement
Linear Control In linear cluster, each unit’s transformation will affect the overall behavior of the cluster. In a five units cluster, by controlling the middle three units, the cluster can behave like elongation, contraction, and turning movement. The synthetic movement can let the unit move foward and turn directions. We think it is also enrgy efficient because only three of the units are actuated.
Control System
P 174
[Cluster Control]
Elongation
Contraction
Turning Mode 1
Turning Mode 2
P 175
Chapter 5 | 5.3 Cluster Movement
P 176
[Linear Movement]
P 177
Chapter 5 | 5.3 Cluster Movement
Moving Together From single unit to multiple units, the units form smaller two to three clusters to many-units linear organizations. Different size of clusters can have their own movement.
Free Agent
Free Agent
Free Agent
P 178
3 Unit Cluster
Free Agent
[Moving Together]
Linear Cluster
3 Unit Cluster
5 Unit Cluster
Free Agent
P 179
Chapter 5 | 5.3 Cluster Movement
Linear + Free Agent
In real condition, there will be linear organization and free agent. the linear cluster can catch the free agent for faster movement. P 180
[Linear Cluster Base]
Linear Construction
It is ideal for the linear cluster to construct cluster base as they can organize a large amount of units in relatively shorter time. P 181
P 182
Chapter 6: Cluster Aggregation With the capability of moving and climbing, the units are able to create clusters with higher population and higher complexity. The clusters are essential parts of the project as units population, organizaitons, orientations, and transformations will effectively change the cluster’s performance. This also set up the fundamental rules to create furniture like space and lighitng strategies.
P 183
Chapter 6 | 6.1 Aggregation
Aggregation Simple aggregation create space in which the units have the same orientation. Which means the units are in parallel orientation. The density and thickness will affect the space’s quality such as porousity.
P 184
[Space]
P 185
Chapter 6 | 6.1 Aggregation
P 186
[Space Aggregation]
P 187
Chapter 6 | 6.2 Cluster Transformation
Shape Changing Hexagon is flexible to change form into rectangle when two opposite corners are pushed. When multiple units are packed together, they can also transform together. However, our unit has one limitation which is the orientation. The hexagon can only change into rectangle in the direction of two ends.
P 188
[Shape Change]
6.52
50.1
6.52
100
50.1
30°
25°
20°
15°
10°
5°
100
30°
25°
20°
15°
10°
5°
0°
P 189
Chapter 6 | 6.2 Cluster Transformation
Cluster Transformation The transformation ability enables the unit cluster to change from rough to smooth, from more porous to opaque. During the transformation, the wall can change its height and length. Therefore the transformation is an important space making strategy and change space from private to public, vice versa.
Transformation vs Deformation We want to use the transformation of the units but transformation will also cause deformation. The diagram shows that if the transformation exceeds certain percentage, the unit will be deformed and become anormal. The situation usually happens at the end of the transformation when there are no other units limiting the transformation. As a result, the transformation should be a gradual shape changing and should not present abrupt changes.
P 190
[Wall Transformation]
Slicing Void Due to the gradual transformation ability, the wall is able to create openings without changing the positions of the units. The opening can happen in the middle of the wall to enable air ventilation and sight exchange.
P 191
Chapter 6 | 6.2 Cluster Transformation
Wall Transformation In parallel aggregated mode, the units can create soft walls. The wall is flexible to change its configuration with creating different voids.
P 192
[Wall Transformation]
Curtain Wall Configuration In curtain wall configuration, the wall consists of only one later of units. In this wall, the ribbon can rotate and change their angles. So the wall can change from porous to opaque, from public to private space.
P 193
Chapter 6 | 6.2 Cluster Transformation
Furniture Blocks of units can create flat space for people to sit and sleep. On a human scale, the unit is soft and adapt to human’s body gestures. The units can also interact with human body to adjust their shape and organization.
P 194
[Soft Furniture]
Snug Seat by Kumeko
Soft Furniture The soft furniture has an intimate relationship with human body that it can either wrap or adapt to body shape. We want to introduce the soft strategy in our furiture so that our units can
Soft furniture made with 120 soft balls
P 195
Chapter 6 5 | 6.2 5.5 Cluster Space transformation Transformation
Wall and Furniture Transformation Large quantity of units can create a wall with a bench growing out of the wall. After the assembly, the wall can change shape in a micro scale which is a hugging gesture or at micro scale which is an opening in the wall. The bench can turn flat on its surface so that it is suitable for human to sit.
P 196
[Space Transformation]
P 197
Chapter 6 | 6.3 Cluster Orientation
Basic Orientation
One single unit has 4 basic orientations. When two units are connected, there will be three conditions: 1. end to end connection 2. End to side connection 3. Side to side connection. Each kind of connection can lead to different organizations that are able to perform specific behavior. Therefore the units can form clusters of units with the same orientation but with different orientation of the clusters.
End-End Connection
Side-Side Connection
End-Side Connection
Side-Side Connection
End-Side Connection
Side-Side Connection
P 198
[Cluster Orientation]
Parallel Connection
Triangular Connection
Hybrid Connection
Hybrid Connection
Hybrid Connection
Hybrid Connection
P 199
Chapter 6 | 6.3 Cluster Orientation
Linear Connection
Parallel Connection
Parallel Connection
Parallel Connection
Linear Connection
Parallel Connection
Parallel Connection
Parallel Connection
P 200
[Cluster Connection]
Parallel Cluster
Parallel Cluster
Radial Cluster
Triangular Cluster
Parallel Cluster
Hybrid Cluster
Parallel Cluster
P 201
Chapter 6 | 6.3 Cluster Orientation
Parallel Block
Parallel Block
Parallel Block
Parallel Block
Parallel Block
P 202
[Cluster Connection]
Radial Cluster
Radial Cluster
Radial Cluster
The radial cluster can be potentially complex partition or supporting systems that are different to normal straight walls.
P 203
Chapter 6 | 6.3 Cluster Orientation
Radial Pattern
Radial Pattern
Triangular Pattern
P 204
[Cluster Connection]
Hybrid Pattern
Hybrid Pattern
Ground Pattern Units can create ground pattern with multiple orientation combined together. The combination of orientation can create patterns that are able to transform or be rigid strutcures.
P 205
Chapter 6 | 6.3 Cluster Orientation
Radial Column
Radial Straight Column
P 206
[Cluster Connection]
Radial Straight Column
Triangular Straight Column
P 207
Chapter 6 | 6.3 Cluster Orientation
Horizontal Block Cluster When multiple units aggregate together with block configuration, they can create flat and smooth structure or wall llike conventional architetcural brick. This feature gives us an opportunity to enrich the space types.
P 208
[Block Cluster]
P 209
Chapter 6 | 6.3 Cluster Orientation
P 210
[Cluster Property]
Cluster Property We found that different cluster has different properties. In HEXY system, the cluster can become packing and linear organization. In packing cluster, the cluster can change its rigidity and softness based on the orienation and density of the units. In linear and brick configuration, the units can perform bending behavior. The study provide a base for the later functional landscape study.
P 211
Chapter 6 | 6.3 Cluster Orientation
Brick
Packing
Rigid
Semi-Soft
Soft
Linear
Linear Brick
Linear
P 212
Linear
[Cluster Property]
Packing: Solid Mode
Packing: Rigid Mode
Cluster Performance Cluster with different rigidity and softness can become different parts of usable cluster. For structure, it can be brick or rigid cluster. For space for sitting or lying on, it can be semi-soft or soft clusters. Also, with clusters of different orientations, the larger cluster can have different performance at different place of the cluster, which leads to the variety of usage and functions of the clusters.
Packing: Semi Soft Mode
Packing: Soft Mode
Brick Bending
Linear Bending
P 213
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
P 214
[Cluster Model]
P 215
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
P 216
[Cluster Model]
P 217
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
Texture
In higher population, the unit cluster with mixed orientations create textures. And thus affect how units can perform or rigid in certain areas.
P 218
[Texture]
P 219
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
Neighbor Condition 1 If each unit allows more than 3 neighbors staying on the same level, the organization will be the firm stacking one with continuity.
Neighbor Condition 2 If each unit can only allow less than 2 units existing on the front and back diagonal line, there will be gaps between units being created.
P 220
[ Functional Cluster ]
Neighbor Condition 3 If each unit only allows less than 2 neighbors beside on the same level, and they are on one diagonal line, the organization will be linear. And in every 5 rows there will be a unit which has the orthogonal orientation that provides supports horizontally and vertically for its neighbors.
Neighbor Condition 4 If each unit only allows less than 2 neighbors beside on the same level, and they are on different diagonal lines, the organization will be linear but in different directions. And in every 5 rows there will be a unit which has the orthogonal orientation that provides supports horizontally and vertically for its neighbors.
P 221
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
Neighbor Condition 5 If each unit allows at least one neighbor on one level below, the organization will be in the shape of pyramid, stacking vertically.
Neighbor Condition 6 If each unit can only allow less than 2 units existing, and the neighbors are on the same diagonal lines, the organization will be in he shape of several loops created vertically. The Orientation of the unit is judged according to the position of its neighbors on different diagonal lines.
P 222
[ Functional Cluster ]
Neighbor Condition 7 If each unit only allows at least 1 neighbors on one level up, the organization will be like branch in vertical. If the unit has 2 neighbors on the top, the orientation will be orthogonal, if not, the orientation will rotate according to the position of its neighbor.
Neighbor Condition 8 If each unit only allows one neighbor on its top, and the position of the neighbor is always in one fixed direction, the organization will be linear in vertical and the orientation of the unit is always facing to the neighbor on its one level up.
P 223
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster Units 3D Neighbor Condition Similar to the rule of Neighbor Condition in 2D, Units 3D Neighbor Condition allows units cluster to emerge even more complex and dynamic organizations. The diversity not only reflects on different 3D formations, but also the mixed unit’s orientations with quality and variety.
P 224
[ Functional Cluster ]
P 225
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
Units Organizations & Human Interference This Scenario shows that units will change their organization according to the movement of human agent. At the beginning, 5006 units are randomly situated.
With the approaching of human, units start to replace and reorganize.
P 226
[ Functional Cluster ]
During the human entering in processing, the units will avoid human when they are too close to him, so there will always be a void space around human position.
Units will reorganize themselves according to the position of human in real time. Therefore, certain organizations will always be formed with the movement of human.
P 227
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
We treat the generated result from the above as a specific example to analyze the quality of the units organization in order to apply them as house components.
Unit Population: 5006 Units Size: 15 cm
P 228
[ Functional Cluster ]
From the top view, it is obvious to see the different Organizations within or out of human affecting range. And the organizations also differentiate in different directions of human position.
P 229
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
P 230
[ Functional Cluster ]
Organization out of human affecting range will be in the organization that units will have more than 3 neighbors at its side. This organization can potentially be the landscape, because this organization has continuity.
Specific Units Organization Generation Process
P 231
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
As for this organization, because of the direction of its viewing transparency, it can be treated as the entrance part of the house.
Specific Units Organization Generation Process
P 232
[ Functional Cluster ]
This organization is very dense and because of the directionality of the unit’s panel, it provides good effect of blocking views from outside, the organization can be used for building private space.
Specific Units Organization Generation Process
P 233
Chapter 6 | 6.5 Functional Cluster
The vertical organization provides field, and these unit vertical structure actually have the potential to bend, and this organization is suitable to be as the organization in yard and playground.
Specific Units Organization Generation Process
P 234
[ Functional Cluster ]
This organization provides passage and at the same time, the angle of slop provide certain coverage, so this organization can be treated as corridor part of the house.
Specific Units Organization Generation Process
P 235
P 236
Chapter 7: Unit Organization In order to control the units in high population, realizing the goal of house construction, computational simulation system is used. The purpose of developing the simulation system is to construct the house in virtual space with variable parameters and time scale so that we could evaluate the organization system and choose optimized solutions. We set neighbor condition and goal oriented aggregation as two basic organizational rules. In this way, the units are able to create complex organizations not only based on local conditions but also global context.
P 237
Chapter 7 | 7.1 Neighbor Condition
Population Rules: To keep the same population throughout the evolution process, no cell should die or born. So the rules become stay at the original place or move to an adjacent cell. Cells with more neighbors are less likely to move, and cells with less neighbors are more free to find new place that can stablize them.
P 238
[Neighbor Condition]
Cell Neighbor = 1 Status: move
Cell Neighbor = 2 Status: move
Cell Neighbor = 3 Status: move
Cell Neighbor = 4 Status: stable
Cell Neighbor = 5 Status: stable
Cell Neighbor = 6 Status: stable
P 239
Chapter 7 | 7.1 Neighbor Condition
Initial population = 122 Fixed Agents: Nei>= 4 Free Agents: Nei < 4
Initial population = 1362 Fixed Agents: Nei>= 4 Free Agents: Nei < 4
Initial population = 3625 Fixed Agents: Nei>= 4 Free Agents: Nei < 4
P 240
[Neighbor Condition]
P 241
Chapter 7 | 7.1 Neighbor Condition
Rule Change With the same base image and initial input agents, rules with different neighbor numbers controls the overall aggregation and mobility of the system, the more number of neighbors that are fixed, the less and un-even distribution the system will become.
Initial population = 2225 Fixed Agents: Nei>= 3 Free Agents: Nei < 3
Initial population = 2225 Fixed Agents: Nei>= 4 Free Agents: Nei < 4
P 242
[Neighbor Condition]
Initial population = 2225 Fixed Agents: Nei>= 5 Free Agents: Nei < 5
Initial population = 2225 Fixed Agents: Nei>= 6 Free Agents: Nei < 6
P 243
Chapter 7 | 7.1 Neighbor Condition
Neighbor Condition In terms of unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbor condition, the setting of the specific neighbor conditions will decide the geometric form of the unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organization.
P 244
[Neighbor Condition]
P 245
Chapter 7 | 7.2 Internal Energy
The mechanism is each unit will contain same amount of energy initially, and for each step of movement, the internal energy will be consumed. When the energy drops to zero, the unit will stop moving.
P 246
[Internal Energy]
P 247
Chapter 7 | 7.2 Internal Energy
Set the Boundary for Unit Organization happen-
The range of the Boundary affects the continuity of units organizations.
Linear
P 248
Circular
The larger Boundary is, the more unit organizations are distributed.
Colonial
[Boundary]
Control the Unit Organizations by Gradient.
10% 10%
15% 25%
20% 30%
20%
30%
80%
P 249
Chapter 7 | 7.3 Space Configuration
The feature of the unit 2D organization in order to create private space is that the void space area is surrounded by stable colonial unit organization.
The feature of unit 2D organization in order to create open space is that each single unit doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow any other units surrounding by, otherwise, it will move to stay away from its neighbor.
The feature of unit 2D organization in order to create wall structure is that each single unit tend to stay closer to its neighbors, the more neighbors it has, the more stable the unit will be.
The feature of unit 2D organization to create Circulation is that when the unit has the neighbors it will tend to stay away from them, however, when the unit has no neighbors at its side, it will tend to get closer to its surrounding units.
P 250
[Space Configuration]
Step1
Moving to Closest Moving Target
Step2
Self Organizing
Step3
Creation of Space and Structure Anchor Points
P 251
Chapter 7 | 7.3 Space Configuration
House Gradient Use CSH #8 as an example, we analyze the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basic elements and represent it with different gradients. We hope to apply the gradient difference in simulation system as changing parameter that can affect the units.
CSH #8 Eames House
P 252
[House Part]
P 253
Chapter 7 | 7.3 Space Configuration
P 254
[Space Type]
P 255
Chapter 7 | 7.3 Space Configuration
Unit Size = 60cm
P 256
Unit Size = 40cm
Unit Size = 20cm
[Scale]
Space Type 1
Space Type 2
Movement
P 257
Chapter 7 | 7.4 3D Construction
Since the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structuring strategy is unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s packing, the scenario of the neighborhood for each unit (except the ground level units and top level units) is that there are 4 neighbors on one level below, 6 neighbors on the same level and 4 neighbors on one level up.
The basic 3D Organization Rule is that each unit will judge how many neighbors from below it will have if it climbs and whether the neighbor from below has the panel facing to it to give stable support.
P 258
[Vertical Construction]
P 259
Chapter 7 | 7.4 3D Construction Based on the specific orientation of the unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stable Support, the 3D unit organization is reflecting the geometric features and the configuration of each single unit.
When the units become a stable structure, the internal energy of each unit on the stable structure will increase and be passed from the bottom level to the top.
P 260
[Column,Wall, Surface]
Column Organization
Wall Organization
Surface Organization
P 261
Chapter 7 | 7.4 3D Construction
Column Type
Wall Type
Surface Type
P 262
[Column,Wall, Surface]
P 263
Chapter 7 6 | 7.5 6.4 House 36 Houses Variation
P 264
[House Variation]
36 Houses Column, wall, off-ground and surface are four fundamental house types. Our first attempt to generate 36 houses is based on the three house types to create 36 space shells if not the complete houses.
P 265
Chapter 7 6 | 7.5 6.4 House 36 Houses Variation
36 Houses Due to the types of the houses differentiate, we choose four basic house types for generation to test if the system is adaptable, they are column support house, wall support house, off ground house and surface house. And We take 4 architecture examples to be as references to these four types of houses.
House Types
Column Support
Wall Support
Off-Ground
Surface
House Typology
Column Support
P 266
Wall Support
Off-Ground
Surface
[House Variation]
House Precedents As houses have different typologies, we choose four basic house types for generation to test if the system is adaptable. They are column support house, wall support house, off ground house and surface house. And We take 4 architecture examples as references to these four types of houses. Column Support House: Kanagawa Institute of Technology KAIT Workshop, which is designed by Ishigami Junya is a typical example of column support house. There are 305 columns of various sizes supporting the stripped roof of skylights. In this case, the quality of the space is defined by only two components: columns and roof covering. Wall Support House: Sonsbeek Pavilion by Aldo van Eyck is taken as the reference for wall support house. The space of the house’s plane is organized by different types of walls’ combination, for instance, the passages of the house are created by the linear walls in parallel, the semi-enclosure space is built by the semi-circular walls. Therefore, with different arrangements of positions of linear walls and semi-circular walls, the space and the functionality of the house differentiate, and it shows the character of flexibility of wall support house. Off Ground House: Richard Foster’s ‘the Round House’ is existing as a definitive example to off ground house, which means there is no architectural space on the ground level but only structure supporting component. In the case of Richard Foster’s ‘the Round House’, the core structure supporting component is a giant column, lifting the first floor plane in 72 feet of diameter off the ground to 12 feet in height. Surface House: As for the surface house, Teshima Art Museum, which is designed by Ryue Nishizawa well illustrates what is surface house. Surface house only has one component, which is a continuous surface. The surface is self-supported in struture. And all the construction elements of housing are compiled, so there is no clear definition for structure or envelope in surface house. Combining all the organization rules based on the basic unit movement logic of unit’s neighbor conditions and unit’s internal energy, the goal of having new version of 36 houses is achieved, which reveals the adaptability of the system.
P 267
Chapter 7 6 | 7.5 6.4 House 36 Houses Variation
P 268
[House Variation]
P 269
Chapter 7 6 | 7.5 6.4 House 36 Houses Variation
P 270
[House Generation]
P 271
Chapter 7 6 | 7.5 6.4 House 36 Houses Variation
P 272
[House Generation]
P 273
Chapter 7 6 | 7.5 6.4 House 36 Houses Variation
P 274
[House Generation]
P 275
Chapter 7 | 7.5 House Variation
P 276
[House Model]
P 277
Chapter 7 6 | 7.5 6.4 House 36 Houses Variation
P 278
[House Model]
P 279
Chapter 7 6 | 7.5 6.4 House 36 Houses Variation
P 280
[House Model]
P 281
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
P 282
[Space Construction]
Building Process Since the house is built based on each single unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dynamic behaviors, it is necessary to show the dynamic real time building process, of which the form of house is created depending on the unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; current positions. Meanwhile the house generation system should be flexible and adaptable enough to realize house transformation.
P 283
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction Different Characters of the Goal The goal doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily have to be as attractor to units, units can also try to avoid the goal within its affecting range, and aggregate at the affecting rangeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boundary. From the different characters of the goal, new formation of units aggregation can be created. Repulsion
P 284
Attraction
[ Goal Oriented Units Aggregation ]
Following the Moving Goal The position of the goal is not simply static, it can move. And when the position changes, units will be affected, and they will reorganize themselves and follow the goal. Goal Movement(Attraction)
Goal Position 1
Goal Position 2
Goal Position 4
Goal Position 3
P 285
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
Scenario 1: Single Structure Anchor Point with Single Target Point
Scenario 2: Single Structure Anchor Point with Multi Target Points
Scenario 3: Multi Structure Anchor Points with Multi Target Points
P 286
[Unit Aggregation]
P 287
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
From the House Generation Simulation, not only the dynamic form of house can be generated, but the house construction process can also be explicitly shown. Generally, the house construction process is divided into 3 steps: 1. Units reaching structure anchor points; 2. The system finding shortest structure paths from anchor points to targets; 3. Evacuation of the assistant units, leaving the structural units to be the part of the house.
The Generated Result of the System
P 288
[Construction Process]
Reach Structure Anchor Points
Connect Target Points
P 289
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
Anchor Point Each unit will recognize the direction of the target position, and figure out the way of approaching dynamically. For instance, if there is a block on the unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way of approaching the anchor point , the unit will find other void space to get close to the anchor point.
Follow Trace Each unit will leave a trace of its movement, the pheromone of the trace will attract other units to follow, so the units will get to the structure anchor points in a more efficient way.
Reach Target Units will not only figure out the way of approaching to target in 2D plane, but also in 3D.
P 290
[Structure Aggregation]
P 291
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
Checking from Target â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s center to other Unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; centers, the distance of each unit to the target is calculated. Available unit options for shortest structure path
Unit that is not for the option of shortest structure path will pick the closer unit as the next unit of the Structural Path. The selected Unit for next step of finding shortest path
The process of evolutionary algorithm makes sure that the accumulation of the trace of each step getting the closer unit is the shortest path from Anchor Point to Target Point. This shortest path connected by units is the structure of house.
Shortest Path from Anchor Point to Target
P 292
[Shortest Path]
P 293
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
Taxonomy According to the positions of the structure units, the units are classified to 3 types
Self Analysis When the structure path is generated, the weak points for of the structure will be calculated, based on Structure Unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Neighbor Conditions.
Optimization 3 different types of Unit are going to have 3 different behaviors after the construction process is finished
P 294
[Structure Generation]
P 295
Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
P 296
[Space Frame]
P 297
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction In order to realize the House Reconfiguration Function, we build the system, which people can manipulate the positions of the targets in Grasshopper to affect and control the units behavior in high population and in REAL TIME.
For the purpose of controlling the system more, in terms of dimension and flexibility, the link between Grasshopper and Processing is built. Every change to the positions of targets in grasshopper will reflect in Processing, affecting the behavior of the units in Processing in high population.
P 298
[Real Time Interface]
Control of Single Target
Control of Target Set
P 299
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
Stage 1 Structure Generation
Unit Aggregation
Stage 2 Retraction
P 300
[House Reconfiguration]
P 301
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
Name: Case Study No.4, Greenbelt House Architect: Ralph Rapson Year Designed: 1945 Status: Unbuilt Size: 1800 sq.ft including enclosed courtyard space (living, dining, kitchen, 3 bedrooms and 2 baths) Location: Hypothetical urban lot Type: Residential Style: Modern Status: Unbuilt Case Study House No. 4 was as boldly modern as any of the California designed and built studies. Unlike its siblings, Case Study No. 4 was designed for a more urban lot and thus had a more introverted design. It focused its attention to an interior courtyard space instead of focusing outwards to a great landscape or view. The house was made up of two pavilions, one for sleeping and one for living.
P 302
[CSH #4]
P 303
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
P 304
[House Generation]
P 305
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
P 306
[House Generation]
P 307
Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
House Perspective
P 308
[House Rebuild]
P 309
Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
House Birds View
P 310
[House Rebuild]
P 311
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
Case Study House #4 GreenBelt
GreenBelt Plane
P 312
[Comparison]
Hexy House System
Hexy Plane
P 313
Chapter 5 |5.3 Generation of Houses Chapter 7 | 7.6 Space Construction
GreenBelt A-A Section
GreenBelt Elevation_S
GreenBelt Elevation_E
P 314
[Comparison]
Hexy A-A Section
Hexy Elevation_S
Hexy Elevation_E
P 315
Chapter 7 | 7.7 Human Interaction Human Input Human as an important participant in the system, whose gesture is captured by Xbox Kinect, can interact with the large population units. The system can recognize the basic body parts of human, such as head, shoulder, haunch, and legs. Each unit will treat these body parts as goals. Based on the changing positions and characters of the body parts, units will behave accordingly in response.
Head Shoulder Hands TM
P 316
Feet
When the Human data is added to the system, it brings more complexity to the process of units aggregation. The basic units building sequence around human is, units will reach to the anchor points on the ground first, and when all the anchor points are reached, units will aggregate towards the goal positions in 3D space. However, at the same time, units will recognize the human body parts and give enough space around those positions, so that the units aggregation can be fit for human scale.
[ Interaction with Human ]
According to different human gestures, units clusters will aggregate and build around him differently. For example, if units detect that the person is sitting, they will aggregate to create a sofa like cluster. If units find that the person is standing, they will create a shell like cluster according to the body height. All of the detection is realized in real time capturing by Xbox Kinect.
Sitting Mode
Standing Mode
P 317
P 318
Chapter 8: Thesis HEXY is a research project investigating the possibility of applying self-assembly unit system into residential House. The aim of the project is to provide an alternative solution for adaptive living in the near future when the unit agents are able to create organizations for architectural and human usage. ‘Geometry”, “Mobility”, “Flexibility”, and “Reconfiguration” are specifically explored in the research process. By integrating those aspects of the system, the project is able to introduce different unit and cluster behavior from low to high population, from simple to complex organizations. The project wants to visualize a dynamic architecture that the interior of the house is mobile and changeable instead of static. On unit level, HEXY is a transformable hexagon geometry unit which can change from hexagon to rectangle, triangle, and more, showing the flexibility of a single unit through its multiple transformations. By using membrane material and distribute the control systems on the outer skin of the unit, HEXY is able to show a prototype of lightweight and transparency. From single unit to higher population, the system is able to create different taxonomies of functional landscape as a combination of furniture, structures, and lighting systems. Each unit is inherent with the capability of transformation which enables the whole system to be either rigid or be soft and elastic so that the system is suitable for human usage and comfort. HEXY is also a self-aware and autonomous system which creates a responsive living environment between unit agent, human beings, and environment. HEXY proposes a new architecture that integrate space creation, autonomous awareness, and functional interchange.
P 319
Chapter 8 | 8.1 Thesis Thesis Aim So our Thesis is to use HEXY as the self-organization system with the ability of autonomy and mobility into existing houses. HEXY system is geometrically strict with specific organization ways but the transformation capability make the whole system flexible and elastic. Higher population units are able to create continuous and fluid functional space as the combination of furniture, structure, and lighting. The units are able to communicate with people and units themselves to create dynamic and interactive living environment. The system is designed to address different house scenarios with different number of human occupancies, different space configurations at different times.
P 320
[Thesis]
P 321
Chapter 8 | 8.2 GreenBelt House
P 322
[GreenBelt House]
Greenbelt
We think Case study house #4 Greenbelt House is interesting because the house has already embedded with the idea of reconfiguration. In Greenbelt, the wall panels, furnitures, and cupboards are replaceable and moveable.We want to continue its spirit of reconfiguration more radically with HEXY system. P 323
Chapter 8 | 8.2 GreenBelt House
P 324
[House Function]
Furniture Replacement In existing GreenBelt House, roomsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; functions are defined by the furnitures in the space. The programs are very strict. However, we believe that HEXY can create furniture like spaces to liberate the original programs so that people can sleep in the courtyard or living space with less space limitations.
P 325
Chapter 8 | 8.2 GreenBelt House
Apply Into House
We propose that the units can entering the house and explore the house space.
Enclosure Mode
In a single space, it can create multiple using mode beyond the original space set. P 326
[House Occupation]
Multifunctional Mode
This scenario is a multifunctional mode, it can form desk, chair, partition and bed in a single room, so it is suitable for a variety of needs.
Partition Mode
Our system can also make partitions to divide a big space into small private space.
P 327
Chapter 8 | 8.2 GreenBelt House
Sleeping Mode
HEXY replaces the traditional bed, due to the transformation, it could change the softness and height to fit the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small behavior in the depth of sleep.
Bedroom Extension
HEXY can also connect multiple spaces together to extend the house program.
P 328
[House Occupation]
Relax Mode
HEXY has the same orientation on the ground level to form a carpet, then the whole family can enjoy the leisure time on it. It also can have the extension to form the chair and wall aggregation.
Landscape
It also creates spaces in the originally empty courtyard.
P 329
Chapter 8 | 8.2 GreenBelt House
Fullfill Mode When fully occupied, the house become a container for the Unit system with the interior space ever changing. The units create different clusters for different purposes. The units are becoming part of the house system such as structures, partitions, furniture-like clusters, lightings, and so on.
P 330
[House Occupation]
P 331
Chapter 8 | 8.2 GreenBelt House
P 332
[House Occupation]
P 333
Chapter 8 | 8.3 House System
P 334
[ House System ]
Relationship
For human utility, the unit can create functional area such as lying, sitting, sleeping, lighting and so on. And for units themselves, they need to create energy collection cluster, storage, and self-support structure to sustain their own lifecycle.
P 335
Chapter 8 | 8.3 House System
Density Besides function, the units create space configurations with different densities. Low density create specific usage and more public space. Higher density creates multi-functional and more private space.
P 336
[ House Density ]
P 337
P 338
Chapter 9: House Performance In the house performance, we specifically look into the”functional landscape” and “lighting”. We call it “Functional Landscape” as we want to create not furniture pieces but furniture like clusters which are the combination of structure, furniture, lighting devices, and so on. They are changing allover the time so that don’t have a fix and finite state. They are not only furniture, structures, or landscape, they are some functional clusters in between. Lighting as a way of communication add another layer of information to the unit orgnizations. With the embedded capability of lighting in each unit, the house can present infinite lighting schemes at different spaces of the house at different times. Functional landscape affects the physical experience of the living environment and lighting change the atmosphere of the living space. We think this new type of reconfigurable space is essential for the new living environment in the House.
P 339
Chapter 9 | 9.1 Functional Landscape
P 340
[ Functional Landscape ]
Texture
Combining those cluster orientations and performance criteria, we are able to generate organizations with different densities and orientations. They create different levels of softness, rigidity, smoothness, roughness, and elasticity.
P 341
Chapter 9 | 9.1 Functional Landscape Lying Utility To create Lying Utility, units within the goal affecting range will avoid the goal, except the units under 4 levels of unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s height, which will create soft organization for peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lying. Other units will create partitions around lying part to provide privacy.
Utility Part
Soft Organization
P 342
[ Functional Landscape ]
Sitting Utility Units that are out of the goal affecting range will form the semisoft organization for people’s sitting, and the semi-soft organization only exist under 4 levels of unit’s height. The units within the goal affecting range will create rigid organization for people’s back support.
Utility Part
Semi-soft Organization
P 343
Chapter 9 | 9.1 Functional Landscape Flat Surface & Loading Utility When units are in the goal affecting range, they will aggregate to form the brick organization, which will provide flat surface and the rigidity for loading, so the unit cluster can function as table.
Utility Part
Brick Organization
P 344
[ Functional Landscape ]
Partition Utility With the goal affecting range, units will keep away from the goal and go to the opposite direction. They will aggregate at the boundary of the goal affecting range and create organization with rigidity and porosity.
Utility Part
Rigid Organization
P 345
Chapter 9 | 9.1 Functional Landscape As if for the same function, the units clusters will evaluate their population, and provide function for single or multiple users. In the case below, when the unit clusterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population is 2500, they will create lying utility for single person, when the population is 4600, they will create lying utility for 3-peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family use, when the population is 8400, units will build lying utility for 6 people. Units Population: 2500
Units Population: 4600
Units Population: 8400
P 346
[ Functional Landscape ]
P 347
Chapter 9 | 9.1 Functional Landscape
P 348
[ Functional Landscape ]
P 349
Chapter 9 | 9.1 Functional Landscape
P 350
[ Functional Landscape ]
P 351
Chapter 9 | 9.1 Functional Landscape
P 352
[ Functional Landscape ]
Relationship
Integrating different units orientations, different softness levels of units organizations and different ways of units transformation, we think the units are capable of creating synthetic and multi-functional cluster. When human agency is introduced, the cluster needs to be aware of human through ways of communication. The units need to be aware of humanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical position, and Lighting is a response of such communication.
P 353
Chapter 9 | 9.3 Communication
However, the units behavior of reconfiguration doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily need to follow the regulations. By using visualization system, units can also detect peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unusual behavior and adjust their regulation behavior as well. This feature of the system shows the adaptation and real character of the units, which is being able to learn from the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behavior and make changes of their own behaviors accordingly. For example, units in the bedroom are usually aggregating near the windows and charging themselves. But during a period of time, if they find the resident always wandering around in the room, they will reorganize themselves to create sitting utility for the person to rest. This process of reconfiguration does not happen instantly, units will detect the time-lapse trace of human gesture and make decision from that.
P 354
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
In this scene, if the units detect that the person in the room is alone and quiet. They will get close to him and create a shell around him.
P 355
Chapter 9 | 9.3 Communication
Communication with Lighting We think lighting performs as signals for units to communicate. The units can be aware of other unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s status and change its own status. The units can also be aware of other unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; positions and tell other units to move closer or away. Moreover, lighting can also be a communicative tool between human and units, indicating the emotion of the units and living environment.
Receiver Unit
Sender Unit
Keep Distance
Repellation Signal
Attraction Signal
P 356
[Signal]
Repellation Signal
Repellation Signal
Attracttion Signal
Attracttion Signal P 357
Chapter 9 | 9.4 Lighting
P 358
[Lighting ]
P 359
Chapter 9 | 9.4 Lighting
P 360
[Lighting with Transformation]
P 361
Chapter 9 | 9.4 Lighting
P 362
[Lighting with Transformation]
P 363
Chapter 9 | 9.4 Lighting
P 364
[Linear Lighting]
P 365
Chapter 9 | 9.4 Lighting
P 366
[Lighting ]
P 367
Chapter 9 | 9.4 Lighting
P 368
[Emotional Lighting]
P 369
Chapter 9 | 9.4 Lighting
P 370
[Performative Lighting ]
Transfrom Lighting
Lighting, transformation can be combined together, and thus giving the space with rhythm, atmospheres, and emotions.
P 371
Chapter 9 | 9.5 House Lighting
Part Lighting 3
Part Lighting 1
Part Lighting 3
P 372
[House Lighting ]
P 373
Chapter 9 | 9.5 House Lighting
Part Lighting 4
Part Lighting 5
Central Lighting 1
P 374
[House Lighting ]
P 375
Chapter 9 | 9.5 House Lighting
Top Lighting 1
Sparkling Lighting 1
Sparkling Lighting 2
P 376
[House Lighting ]
P 377
Chapter 9 | 9.5 House Lighting
Sparkling Lighting 3
Sparkling Lighting 4
Sparkling Lighting 5
P 378
[House Lighting ]
P 379
Chapter 9 | 9.5 House Lighting
Bottom Lighting 1
Bottom Lighting 2
Mixed Lighting
P 380
[House Lighting ]
P 381
Lighting Scheme HEXY is a live agency in the house. Even when it is not moving, it changes the house atmosphere and affect human behaviors. The Unit can provide part lighting, constant lighting, sparkling lighting. Lighting performs as the information flowing around the house. Units functions as a whole cluster or as individual, creating endless lighting patterns for the living environment.
P 382
P 383
P 384
Chapter 10: 24 Hours/ 1 Year As we have explored the functional landscape, lighting, communication in the House Performance, we are able to imagine how the unit will occupy the house and live with human beings in a more time-based scenarios. We think 24 hours and one year are two special conditions. In 24 hours scenario, the units need to react to human behavior with fast response to create temporary functional landscapes. In one year scenario, the units will create larger body plan to adapt to the solar radiation, shading in the house. In those two scenarios, the units represent not only different levels of autonomy and reaction speed, but also different levels of autonomy and self-interests.
P 385
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life For Greenbelt House, it is supposed to be the stage of the HEXY System. And the system needs to have performance in more time based condition like 24 hours and one year. In terms of one day, people in the house have activities like sleeping, eating, rest and so on. And units will react to the residents in a faster speed by creating functional clusters and lighting effect. It is also supposed that different life scenarios will happen according different number of people in the house. And at the same time, the active areas of the house will also be very different.
7:30
8:00
For the 24 hours scenario, the basic life scenes are peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleeping, working, dining and having rest with friends. Based on those scenes the corresponding unit behaviors need to be designed. Units either need to provide utility for user or smartly distributed for giving space . Except from the life regulations, units also need to have other occasional and instant response to human behaviors.
Charging
Sleeping Working Charging
Charging
Party/ Dining P 386
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
To look into the specific units behavior in human life cycle, we picked basic life scenes to illustrate how units perform in one day time span. The scenes are, people’s getting up in the morning, doing office work in the living room, having party with friends, and the friends’ temporary accommodation in the house’s court yard. In these particular examples, the main units behavior is reconfiguration.
P 387
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life At 7:30 in the morning, when the person wakes up, gets up from the bed, and leaves the room. The units for lying utility will distribute and move to the windows for charging, so that the room can have more space and units can get enough power.
P 388
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 389
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life At 8:00 a.m., the resident needs to start his office work. When he enters the living room, units that are aggregating near the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s columns will reconfigure to provide a piece of flat surface for the residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s working. However, not all of the units are necessarily moving, only 30% of them need to change their positions to build the utility.
P 390
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 391
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life At 19:00, the residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friends are coming. He needs big tables for his evening party use. But before this moment, the units in the middle court yard were still charging themselves in vertical organization. When they recognize the residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirement, they will climb down to create several levels of loading flat surfaces to provide areas for putting dishes.
P 392
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 393
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life At 23:00, the party is over. Some of the friends still want to stay in the residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house but there is no more empty room for them to sleep. At this moment , the units used to be the components of loading utility will reorganize themselves to the lying utilities for multiple people and between each lying part , partitions will also be created to keep peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s privacy.
P 394
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 395
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
Lighting Scheme HEXY is a live agency in the house. Even when it is not moving, it changes the house atmosphere and affect human behaviors. The Unit can provide part lighting, constant lighting, sparkling lighting. Lighting performs as the information flowing around the house. Units functions as a whole cluster or as individual, creating endless lighting patterns for the living environment.
P 396
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
PM
P 397
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
10 PM
12 AM
P 398
2 AM
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
3 AM
4 AM
5 AM
P 399
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
8 AM
P 400
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 401
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
9 AM
11 AM
12 PM P 402
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM P 403
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
5 PM P 404
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 405
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
5 PM P 406
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 407
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
5 PM P 408
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 409
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
Courtyard View
P 410
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 411
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
Party Area View
P 412
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 413
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
Living Space View
P 414
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 415
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
P 416
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 417
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
P 418
[24 Hour Life Cycle]
Time lapse in living space
P 419
Chapter 10 | 10.1 24 Hour Life
P 420
[ 24 Hour Life Cycle ]
P 421
Chapter 10 | 10.2 1 Year
P 422
January
July
February
August
March
September
April
October
May
November
June
December
[ 1 Year Solar Energy ]
Summer Solstice
Spring/Autumn Equinox
Winter Solstice
Solar Energy Summer Structure
The units affect the house environment with its aggregation pattern in different season. During summer, the units create high, shading clusters in the courtyard to control light and temperature. During winter, the units create more flat cluster for more sun exposure and share light with human.
Winter Structure
P 423
Chapter 10 | 10.2 1 Year
New Lifemode HEXY creates a new living environment that the house space is ever changing. HEXY unit becomes another occupancy in the house and co-live with human beings. The interaction between human and HEXY will generate a symbiotic relationship between human and unit agent. It will possibly help to solve the contemporary living issues by creating reconfigurable living space.
P 424
[ 1 Year Life ]
P 425
P 426
P 427
P 428
P 429
P 430
P 431
P 432
P 433
P 434
P 435
P 436
P 437
P 438
Chapter 11: Phase 2 Jury At 6:00 pm, Jan 13,2017 HEXY was presented at AA lecture hall as final review. The final critics include: Theodore Spyropoulos, Rob Stuart Smith, Patrick Schumacher, Tom Wiscombe, Philippe Morel, Davide Quayola, Monia De Marchi, and Ciro Najle. The review is successful and the juries point out that the future of HEXY could be possible in developing in different scales, control systems, and manufacturing methods.
P 439
P 440
P 441
P 442
P 443
Chapter 11 | 11.2 Transcript Philippe Morel: I want to congratulate you that it’s an amazing project. I think it’s extremely rich. You already address or the levers of architecture. You deal with the difference between the furniture and its organization of space. Obviously, it’s never already furniture or something in between. We cannot even speak of traditional furniture for this project. The way you do, for example, the lighting condition is very beautiful. I have to say it’s not only that it’s reactive it’s only I mean its most of that it’s well done. I mean it’s because having something reactive is one thing. I think something which is really well done with sensitivity is something else. And I think you control this really pretty well on his model is amazing. It’s totally there. And I don’t know it completely postmodern but better true let’s say a truly postmodern architecture you know like it and at that I mean and what I could go effective postmodernism not the cultural is post-modernism from the seventies until 2000, so I believe it’s really really a strong project on the level of technicalities also extremely impressive. I have one remark which never honest I believe is important regarding let’s say the critical statues of something which is discrete like that. As you probably know in twentieth-century industry we have a couple of very important paradigm of fabrication forms. I mean there are reasons obviously is the main one especially for them which allows through the scientific organization of the wall can be invented by Taylor to produce at extremely fast days many actually in a relative manner and cheap way, but when we started for example with a computer we tried to apply these techniques. I mean with transistors we said okay maybe we can we can produce transistors as we did with the w cars, so at the very beginning because we needed a couple of hundreds of thousands of transistors which was kind of okay you know, but when you have to produce billions of transistors are billions of billions of transistors because for short is this is the component which is conceptually the most present on earth now. I mean it’s just insane. So, when you think that on a computer chip I mean just be like that you had something like three billion four billion of transitions. Obviously, you need to ask yourself but all you produce those elementary components and in there are already quite a lot of this elementary components, but if you imagine for City you know made of that. There’s a question of fabrication will become extremely critical not only on the practical level but let’s stay on the conceptual level, so if you if you think of this kind of molecular machine which reproduce themselves like cells in your body, then you have an option. Because you can start with one which is two which gets four I mean eight, so you can easily other kind of expand exponential growth, but if you don’t have the self-reproduce ability embedded into this component and at the moment it’s not the case. Obviously, I mean I assumed our projects like under a production line, you know in a traditional production line like in a factory then your molecular cannot produce those very big material components. I mean you cannot you can do it we do it with the smartphones computers, etc. But according to me the question is not is not present in the project that’s the missing one. I mean it would have been great to think of this, I mean can you manufacture all of these things together like what we do for the transistor. I mean we don’t have assembly because there’s a lot of assembling. We don’t have separate component but we have a kind, having a kind of integrated component which is all done in once and in fact each component is not singular but you can produce let’s say 10,000 at once at the same time you know with a kind of big stamp. I mean it’s not the right the word for the industry but I forgot it. You know and yeah I don’t know maybe you have ideas about that but this would be this is that they know they’ll try something almost like a perfect project. This question should be a sketchy and then buttressed, it’s just like amazing.
Philippe Morel P 444
[Review Transcript]
Davide Quayola Yeah, I really really like also their project think another area that could be interesting that at the moment. I mean there are some examples of this kinects that looks at your emotion but obviously compared to the sophistication of these that looks very primitive, and in the end the whole idea of interface how you actually interact with this but not just as a self-intelligent just how you actually actively can control can manipulate be. So, what’s the interface between you and this system, I think this could be also an area that I don’t know I would see could be even just directly were pretty interesting narrative to develop now you actually program your own space not just by this intelligence that adapts around what you do but actually actively engage with it.
Patrick Schumacher Two points: I love the project, it’s stunning it’s amazing and then you would step forward.\ I mean not a step forward in a primitive project which gets ever more compelling starting with a very kind of out there hypothesis. So, and my two points where I think we could what the next step could have been in this one. On the one hand, we’ve had a number of times that dresses for it was doing does it do we really have to have that one element super sophisticated and intricate feel that old space, or the half of elements. And also I think also the functional differentiation of these elements or let’s say greater the UN figure and then the interaction but maybe there it would be more plausible the other things from the land could they be table surfaces, which are migrating and shifted up and down and on top of these if you talk about tables. And I thought some of the clusters are beautiful. And I have a kind of laptop sitting on the somehow. You give me a bed, a bed did not only in acquiring a human onto these pixels where the diverse and then how it is to do this kind of terrorist actually pushed around these are these ingredients were just me, but on its charming but also realistic and challenges and that. But then we have inert architectural agents in the mix and we have multiple architectures agents or that. Of course, it was great about these pixels this and there’s a new version of that wonderful capacity that is so super super flexible like a screen near like a TV screen. I’m not sure we need that and we should start differentiating and then we become much cheaper much more potent and of course then we can have one project for everything but that’s not going to even be living in the inn in a post-formalism not formalism. Formalism with the man that toasters and doesn’t he could have variations in these in these elements are included, so although there’s still some advantages with it with the identity, but I think that’s the I priority which could for now. Now I love this by the way I love the and that wasn’t last iteration more off the little boxes coming together to create an interior set of that collective organisms Theo talked about them as body plans. I think that is striking and strong and we’re losing it where you have it because it’s just that kind of wall and bench you have to you rolling that each voxel from the back to the front while the thing is also maybe certain policy setting and actions. and I like the fact that we have those we have the collective organisms which but they are not rigid there they are that they’re temporarily come together and they can also I think recognizable and object identity, something which the unit also appreciate. Even though with it can bifurcate to two or dispersed in 200. I think there was something that you have here but not in these two points on to make. And congratulate is really really exhilarating that they touch the movement.
Patrick Schumacher P 445
Chapter 11 | 11.2 Transcript Tom Wiscombe: I thought the animation showing these guys squishing and connecting and kissing and making love and doing all the things they were doing was totally amazing you guys aren’t very good. And um this is just a really really thoughtful project really well executed and I’m starting to get convinced. I’m so interested in what happens to this shell it’s like it’s already not quite even the case study house anymore. it’s like a bounding box because it’s been made in transparent surfaces. So, it’s like to me when I think about these new friends of humans like man’s best friend beginning to an architecture, so they’re starting to accumulate around where we live and then architecture starting to disappear in the air in the transparency. And in addition we have other things coming in my mid like augmented reality and other kinds of things which seem like they would start to also make architecture just the shell. You wouldn’t need to articulate it any longer where you just augmented virtually. so I’m just thinking aloud right now that we are entering an age now where there are all of these other ways of articulating space that have to do with technology frankly. And I just wonder like what happens to the shell when it really starts to disappear like. What is the I you know this is a much larger kind of discussion about well what happens when these guys aren’t just the furniture but when they actually are the house and what happens when on the one hand or if you’re getting larger, or getting smaller what happened. I just basically I’m just super curious about the status of this guy right now because I’ve read it more as a bounding box than anything like. I don’t think this is even important for the project that you guys are working on right now and I think that’s great that’s a clear bounded project, but on I guess that’s neither here nor there. But I guess on the other thing that I want to say is…..That’s true that’s true that’s true well and I don’t know if it ever will I get maybe that’s the point is. I want to get you that is it maybe never will and that’s a choice I guess this giant arrow of progress is it’s like we tend to think that technology drives us forward but we are constantly evaluating reevaluated making technology right like because I’d like technology with social before with technological like so that’s so important. And I just I think the great point you made by the way Patrick about these things differentiating. I could really begin to go there then you have the bed one the TV one you can make a giant screen you’re right that’s really good. But at some points, we also have to look at like the sort of floating figures on these fields of robots and kind of make a value judgment and say you know like we can do this, it’s it’s amazing as a thought project on is that is that the new life is that the new life. I guess I’m deserve battling this my long day but I just think that this it’s really blowing my mind this project and I love that I just one thought if it’s going I don’t know if this is going forward any further if you kill something after three years or whatever like but I just I thought that like I’m just still interested in giving it other applications and other scales and you know because I’m such an architectural nerd like I’m thinking about what else to do other than the furniture. And to the last discussion that we had like could even start to be deployed on and in terms of constructing buildings are good and have functions of you know I noticed they get vertical could start to stack and make columns or like what they do and then get rigidify did somehow or something like that. So how could they start to actually become complete building components other than 10 piece of furniture but really that’s a different project and you’re working on um yeah maybe
Tom Wiscombe P 446
[Review Transcript]
Ciro Najle: Maybe what I would encourage you to do because the project is very effective and thoughtful and kind of in intentional a lot a contracting a device that an intelligently and collectively follows certain target or achieve certain names. I think there is a lot of the derivative at the underside of that which is all those circumstances in which the project it doesn’t really achieve those aims. All the basically that redundancy that the project has dynamically changing and perhaps one thing that the project will benefit from developing is technique to from the format those redundancies is that a series of reality is happening simultaneously and changing a growing or shrinking. And in a way after a kind of evaluating those redundancies recognizing what is the form of us about those witnesses what is eventually the purpose of those residences or the second agenda in the project or the series of second agenda in the project and create I think that that’s just it passed to talk about the tactics in the project and to say how the project in a way with equals but perhaps linear ethics in create something that this out of its own control and still control it or at least it has a grasp on that. So I think that the evaluating the redundancy is a path to that.
Philippe Morel: I just want to add something. I think it’s extremely relevant this is this is what I meant post-modernism I mean it’s not the case to the hours anymore. Its I totally agree with you, it’s just like we don’t even know what to what to say but it’s a box it’s a glass box, but there’s no true architecture quality you know so it’s not like the Mies glass box neither Johnson one of any other glass out from 20th century. It’s just like nothing. It looks like an agriculture building you know and I’m innocent it’s made it could upon the past 12 something else they could not what when you look at the building that it’s a building in which you just absorb a white component growing from the ground. You know I don’t know that they have no natural paradigm. It’s from its pure techniques. It’s showing our picture but when we look at the modern at the global modern it looks already much more natural so we can with we have this idea of adding system just be being alive so those says maybe they can grow from the from the ground, you can take the take the rain again use with the water the kind of and less cycle with some of these boxers dying and some of them appearing in there, etc. And I’m from the future I mean intellectually the future of this project is not sure. Basically, I think it’s okay here is fine nice technique it’s ready in in this model in something which has absolutely no quality in a completely denial of any kind of space or whatever. We’re just everything is augmented. And this is what I really like actually compared to of previous project.
Rob Stuart Smith: First of all I just want to quickly congratulate you because we’re all speculating but this to remind you that I think it’s a very well-executed project that’s very poetically conveyed how a day in the life of the house would be and also the seasons of the year and really living up I would say to the aspirations of the brief to show that this is something that is meant to be very intimate in the lifestyle of the house. And I think we should say that they’ve done a really good job conveying that aspect of the project. For me, I also appreciated the kind of level of qualitative effect we see in the patents and mass number of these that come together kind of grain caused by the various direction. But there’s one thing I speculate on where this could go and that is that these units of course they could be at vary scales, we can speculate. For the other thing is the quantity and their volume impact what we can do with them. And they have this ability to sometimes have volume and other times I have almost no volume. I just collapsing. And so that makes me think that they could be really effective in a space of confined volume, so something like the International Space Station where you have a very confined space that is you know the same room might be a bedroom and the kitchen at the same time and I could imagine a smaller version of this being incredibly useful up there for creating these differentiated environments internally over the period of the day.
P 447
Chapter 11 | 11.2 Transcript Patrick Schumacher: I’m assuming that make quickly when the Rob is right I mean the whole point of these things instead of having ten rooms next to each other. The different settings you can rotate the setting for the compact space. But I think this I want to give more credibility not to the house so much but to your choice of the house and the attempt to affiliate and not just see the bounding box, because I think that these diagonals of the zoning and the diagonals the way you’re feeling and you could pick that up in the module you have both the orthogonal condition and the hexagonal conditioners various degrees of angles. And I think that you’re aligning to this in some of the plans it’s not on the come up in the video you see that you’re attempting to align to and you have this patterning the Nike weaves and so on different planes, so I think there is an attempt Navy equipment more, but I feel it that you want to make this not only adapt to human but the context and completes context and those partitions and then and transoms which you seem to be lining to and building I think that’s so important adaptive contextualism in the piece dynamic on texture that I like this is certainly the projects or so.
Ariane Koek: And it also gives so many different ramifications to the notion of mass occupancy so the actual thing itself is an occupant as well as the occupant with it. So, I love the idea you can think of it philosophically in so many different ways and that way so it is fruitly thoughtful so many different levels and the imagination.
Theodore Spyropoulos
P 448
[Review Transcript]
Theodore Spyropoulos: Yeah, I mean just from my perspective anyway and I think obviously, the project is distinguished in many ways. I think that there’s been a lot of work and I think the dedication that you’ve done to it I think is it’s obviously explicit in it. I think a lot of the comments though contractually, I think it’s the next step for the project. I think it has been three years and obviously, this is building. I think research has been evolving and one of the aspects but what I think is important is like, so for example of certain economy is how these things are deployed. For this idea of transforming ability within a very constrained space. I think these constraints even if how they deployed themselves not always in a default pack condition I think is the next step of evolution because I think it plays fundamental role not necessarily just how population is distributed and how goals are oriented and how things are actually emerging, but it also gives a certain kind of economy and credibility to how creative could these things find a solution for a similar goal but with a vary population, and if we can sort of building a strategy where these things become much more intuitive in their own rights. So that there is a search space where we demand that architecture is also very active participant so that it’s not let’s say fix and finite in a traditional sense but it’s actually always constantly trying to understand how it’s situated in the world. Then I think it becomes quite interesting because I feel that this is a form of disruptive technology. This isn’t about like the seventies generic let’s erase everything and introduce a kind of system that has no confinement or qualities. I think this is about actually trying to find context that sensitivity through its ability to search to try to understand if that is people if that is the house or if that’s context. I think how we make meaningful distinctions of that is something that we really need to take the next step in looking in. And the byproduct of about these populations have a certain kind of demand of where control resides and they think that that’s also something that we also have to discover is how do you design a control system that’s more like an airport but takes uncertainty is something as a given rather than other forms of control which are like old-school cybernetics about always trying to control that time to either optimal solution or a solution space. And I think that that’s also interesting challenges ahead all I’m trying to encourage you and as I think the projects just begun. Maybe you don’t like to hear that but from my perspective I think it has to continue. And I think Tom’s point it’s really important that we should question the different capacities of what this thing can do and I think the qualities of the light and the difference between interactive and reactive and actually all the time dependency aspects of it. I think you’ve touched on a lot of those things, and I think that’s what making it really compelling. But I would encourage you to take that next step and in the next two weeks to be honest with you also all of this animation world has to become a book and even how you sort of find an innovative and creative way to actually communicate work like this. I think is important because it does actually open up a conversation about how we actually tried to establish making stuff like this accessible, so this isn’t just like a YouTube video this is a piece of design research. It does contribute but isn’t dependent on other people. We have zero facilities to do any of this stuff here and we do it anyway. And I think that’s part of the culture of making you have to sort of believe that you can actually convincingly make proof of concept that actually can go out to the world and show away, not necessarily just talk about it but actually been committed enough with certain accountability to sort of make it happen. I think you’re touching on this no just encourage you to sort of continuing that.
P 449
Acknowledgement
Studio Tutor: Theodore Spyropoulos
Structure Consultant AKT
Tutor: Mustafa El Sayed Apostolos Despotidis Rob Stuart Smith Shajay Bhooahan Pierandrea Angius Patrick Schumacher Ryan Dillon Soomeen Hahm
Phase 1 Helper Ruiling Yang Yuhui Wu Ziqian Wang
P 450
P 451
P 452
P 453
P 454
HEXY
Phase 1 Research Book | AADRL 2016 Instructor: Theodore Spyropoulos Mustafa El Sayed Apostolos Despotidis Team: Yuan Yao, Yang Hong, Yuhan Li
P 455
P 456