HALOKINESIS

Team

The Elemental

Within the contemporary condition new conceptual terrains emerge that raise questions of agency and intelligence within a deep ecology of our environment. The work explored examines environmental phenomenon in the service of sustaining life on this planet. Challenging the orthodoxies of contemporary spatial landscapes, this studio focuses on the temporal nature of the environment, while applying provocative research methods through material exploration. The thought is a worldly application – an architecture that can be implemented into multifarious environments, which include the most extreme environments in an application to urban systems.

The Salt

HALOKINESIS is an architectural endeavor that utilizes salt, a universal material, to re-balance the coral bleaching environments within applicable locations on this planet. HALOKINESIS is the movement of salt and salt bodies in nature or the magical ability to move salt with one’s mind And thus, this project explores salt crystallization’s phenomenology by harnessing this power within our reality. Analysis of this element revealed an inherent nature of supertemporal growth, requiring us to elicit interventions through controlling behavioral propagation. Project HALOKINESIS relies on time coupled with a responsive scaffold, growing crystals to achieve strength and formations.

By designing and embedding intelligent systems, our goal is to create a community of agents that receives data from the external environment and translates it into instructions to perform specific actions. They will be able to change their behavioral patterns in order to adapt to their environment in the face of continuous or substantial environmental change. Following the information flow, formations would be generated by the swarming behavior Ithat constantly interacts with the local organisms and the terrain. The cyclical system we proposed would run endlessly in the ocean environment, this project was borned during the research on salt throughout the year, which didn't have any intention of certain functions in the begining.Coral regeneration is only one possible applications of the system, in genral, the project can be seen as utilizing salt, an element, to create architecture as infrastructure.

Tools : Unity 3D + C# coding, Rhino + grasshopper, Houdini + VEX coding, Cinema 4D, Ardunio, Twinmontion, Photoshop, Illustrator, premiere, Aftereffect

Original project booklet link: https://issuu.com/mayamashiach/docs/phase_02_booklet_final_issuu

We started the research by understanding the crystallization process in microscope level. We developed a mathematical approch for simulation. And tried with water and salt crystals. We learned from this study that seeding point is essential for it to happen. Also the self binding property of salt crystal.

The simulation conducted for the multipul seed point is to understand how the crystals interact with each other when growing. We use hexagonal grid and square grid for simulate water crsytal and salt, sodium chloride, crystal. The snowflakes interacts with each other and slows down the groth. Which is because, if we consider this in our mathematical model, the non-receptive group between the arms of the crsytal don't have acess to the values in the grid, so it's hard for those cells to keep adding up, which leads to a slower growth. But in the case of the salt, square grid dose not have angle other then 90 degree, so the interaction won't affect the speed of the growth. The salt crytal will continue to grow with the same speed.

In macroscope level, the salt cryastallization is seen in forms of salt tectonics we studied the principle of this natural formation and further explored with digital simulations. While salt flow influences geological tectonics through the creation of structural traps and reservoir distribution, it also serves as a basis to fluid migration around the world. The concept of subsurface salt flow, or halokinesis, embeds itself as an integral aspect of the relationship between global tectonism and sea level change. This relationship provides a fundamental insight into the direction of a structural and contextual foundation for this thesis.

HALOKINESIS relies on time coupled with a responsive scaffold, growing crystals to achieve strength and formations. The first tests were 2d and 3d grids made out of powder print and plastic filament inspired from the natural structure of sponge. From these physical experiments we learned about the self-binding property of salt crystals, the hardness and stiffness it provides. How it works better under compression and that salt crystals grow more in the intersections.

The spicules are small skeletal elements of most sponges, by fusing together they form the structure of the skeleton. We studied possible mutations and classifications. We separated them by number of axes and different ends mutations to provide diverse outcomes when aggregating them. Most spicules in themselves have a very stable centrosymmetric form, which in our project would give the structure a better performance on holding different shapes after aggregation. When numerous spicules are entangled with each other, they form an interlocking structure that is robust. The spocules also provide a semirandom connection, this property would lead to a system with lower intelligence therefore more reliable and couples better with the dynamic ocean envrionment.

BRANCHES: 5 BINDING: 20

BRANCHES: 4 BINDING: 10

BRANCHES: 6 BINDING: 25

BRANCHES: 6

14

We physical tested a variety of spicule mutations with the crystallization process, and then further researched on intersection points, surface area, material and the original geomerty which are all highly related to the efficiency of salt harvesting. After find the most optimized spicule shape, we then start to include curtain level of intelligence into the agent. The intelligent of binding and salt harvesting lies in salt itself, so agents are equipped with the ablity of sencing the envrionment and actuator for them to move in the ocean. In this case, 4 pneumatic arms.

Agents are equipped with salinity sensors, which enable them to be aware of this value in a certain radius and move to where its higher.

System

HALOKINESIS relies on an artificial cycle coupled with natural processes, generated through necessity, and constantly responsive to environments. We identified three main stages within the cycle: harvest, migration, and protection. Harvest deals with crystallization of the spicule agents in higher salinity zones. Migration is the process of transporting salt structures through current dynamics and self-propulsion. Protection employs formational agency in low salinity coral reef zones, adapting to coral structures as barriers and dispersing salt.

Ocean currents are extremely important parameters to explore in the oceanic environment.In reality the oceanic environment is variable in terms of weather condition changes, temperature, air pressure, and more. Therefore, we simulated floating agents within this dynamic current field, finding that they will generally stick to larger circular clusters emulating ocean current gyres. The rest of the simulations run throughout our project are in this type of current field, ultimately setting up the dynamic nature of our agents with the project.

Current Simulations

Harvest

Within the harvest stage of the cycle, we isolated behaviors such as cohesion between agents, buoyancy, and steering as necessary in salt harvesting and formation. This is important because in a harvesting state, the structures will inhabit the water surface for the most part.

Simulations were run in a area of 100 kilometer by 100 Kilometer, and the sphere showing is a representation of 100 agents. The agents will make decisions base on which and also the number of its neighbors. With ocean current acting as a macroscope searching force cooperating with the self-propulsion force of salinity seeking, they are able to create meaningful harvesting formations. We run variations of simulations with all of the agents behaviors of harvesting. Result shows the significant influence of the dynamic ocean environment to the agent movement. But with our rule set, the formation can keep the center area relatively stable for the salt to grow.

Agents changes phases according to the number of neighbours.

Agents are moving towards their neighbors in their own search radius to create clusters.

Harvest _ Self - regulating

We conducted physical test by recreating the result of the simulation with actual inflated and deflated agents, and crystallize them. We discovered with time passing and crystal grow heavier, it will reach a point where the pneumatic on the original agent are not strong enough to hold the mass and the whole piece sink.

So we went back to digital simulations to look at this problem in a 3D perspective.And creared a new rule for the agents. This strategy gave the system the capacity to self-regulate in order to stay on the top of the ocean. As simulations on the right shows , when the cluster sinks, more agents turn turn white, which indicates the inflation phase, and eventaly the formation reaches its balance which is floating on the surface, ready for more crystal to grow.

We run high population simulations with this rule in relation to time as a parameter of salt growth to optimize the harvesting of salt.Calculating with the formula we developed, The time of harvesting on the surface should be around 32 weeks which can be translated.ratio of volume between agents and salt, at around 1:4.

Agents applying old neighbor rules

Cluster sinks due to the increaing mass of the salt crystal Agent autonomasly change neighbour, more agents inflate

More Bouyancy provided, cluster start to float to the ocean surface

Migration

After harvesting, the agent will migrate , carrying the salt crystal, from high salinity locations to the coral reef area. They will be able to read environmental data, make decisions and move toward destinations. We use the results from harvesting to spawn the agents for the migration simulations. Steering behavior also create hydrodynamic rotation, which enable the cluster to ride the current and reduce the energy consumption in this long distance migration. While traveling, agents on the edge might detach due to the water erosion. But it’s in the dynamic nature of our system, with intelligence and actuator in every autonomic agents, after detached, they will make decisions of moving responsively with the environment.

Prototyping

We built a prototype as a control system for the interactions between agents. The agent shows different stages of inflation based on the detection of its neighbour. Based on those behavior we began to prototype interaction and response. Each agent is equipped with an ultrasonic sensor for it to sense the other agents when aggregated.

When designing a system for the pneumatic arms the idea was for them to unfold and grip. We tested the deformation, muscle and inflation through different number of ribs shapes and thicknesses. With Several physical tests we tried different spines and cavities with various positions to achieve the function, buoyancy and inflation we were looking for. Emphasizing the grip between them. These are some isolated studies of the location of the 4 pneumatic arms in the spicule, and how the orientation provides different results. What we learned from these previous studies was then tested in the prototypes to get a better understanding of interacting between them for the different situations.

Low-Population physical experement was set to test the interaction between two agent. The informatiion is shown as the color of light, where white represents the agent is detecting a neighbur agent while red means the other. And this information will be translated into the inflation Phase of the pneumatics arms.

Pneumatics arms control the bouyancy therefore control the depth of the agents in the ocean. So we the conducted another test with 12 agent in a pully system to test the communication between agents and how it translated into the movement in the ocean. The rule set was when detecting more than 2 neighbours agent will sink and vice versa.So the result shows the agents in the middle would sink but the system will find its blance in the end.

Coral Reef Protection

After migration, we started looking into the protection of corals, our agents will self-organize as an ever-changing formation that balance the salinity level temporally and reducing the harmful influences caused by rapid climate change. Learning from the salt tectonic in nature, we translate pressure and density into buoyancy and cohesion force. With information from the neighbors, agents would behave collectively and forming an autonomous cluster. We tried several simple geometry as initial configuration to simulate the general formation, when we added the sides and finally using a circle as image seed, we achived a mushroom column structure which also exist in nature.

We run low - population simulation with 2000 agents to test how our rules set respond to different coral reefs, results showed successful attempt of surrounding and connecting the reefs.

Real Scenario High - population Simulation

High-population simulation at an island in Caribbean sea where the coral surrounds the island and acting as barrier, we can see obviously in the front view that our agent is analyzing the terrain and self-regulating to change phases in order to drop the passive spicules to the bottom for coral to grow on, yellow ones represent the passive agents represent one-fifth of the whole population. From the top view, it’s clear that agents are moving closer to the blue part, which is the healthy coral, and keep certain distance from the red ones in order to disperse salt but not to break their branches since they are already endangered. The phase changing process here shows how the reconfiguration happen even with crystal growing on them, the pneumatic inflate and deflate, which gives the agents an opportunity of interlocking or unlocking freely.

Real Scenarios

We did 3 more simulation on 3 different sites, the system is adapting to the topographies and coral situations, applying same behavior but ended with very different formations as the environmental forces change. For example, for the first one in south pacific with 12000 population, distance between 2 coral colonies is only 1.2 kilometers, which leads to a floating landscape as infrastructure, hat connecting the lands. After getting into formation, the passive agents would sink to the bottom of the sea and disperse salt to balance the local salinity at the level that coral grows, to regenerate the coral, and also providing shelters for sea creatures thriving the ecosystem. Here is the sectional view of the formation in location, we can see a difference in porosity from top to bottom.

Also how salt disperse more in the endangered part and agents are keeping distance from the coral. For the four sites we choose in South Pacific, Panama, and Caribbean Sea, including both coastal and off-shore coral colonies. While the agent system adapting to the environment, they also strengthen certain function of which the coral reefs offer to the ecosystem, such as making connections or acting as barrier for the seashore. With our system actively getting involved into the global Salt cycle, we hope to see the reviving in local coral ecosystem after several generations of agents working together, adapting, reacting and influencing the environment.