Assignment: Build a personal site in the class archive describing you and your final project.
- The main topics Neil discussed revoloved around digital fabrciation; tools, and practices, and general information about FabLabs. The first assignment for the semester is to plan and sketch a potential semester project.
After spending the last month gathering information in quest to round the idea which combines my knowledge and expertise along with my hobbies and interests, I came up with a proposal:
After spending the last month gathering information in quest to round the idea which combines my knowledge and expertise along with my hobbies and interests, I came up with a proposal:
Shape changing structures play an important role in engineering design since rigid structures are usually only optimal for a small range of service conditions. I propose a concept of a computer- controlled morphing structure that is inspired by the nastic movement of plants, which could potentially be utilitzed as a building element or component.
Biological systems adapted and perfected the design and forming their structures during thousands of years of evolution in a changing and increasingly more complex, competitive and challenging world. I therefore choose to study, understand and adopt nature's time-tested principles and mechanisms to the design of this adaptive structure.
Nastic movements are rapid, reversible responses to non-directional stimuli (eg. Temperature, Humidity, Light irradiance). It is a plants response to touch. Nastic movement is caused by turgor pressure change due to movement of water in cells as opposed to tropic movement which is actual growth and therefore irreversible. In many turgor- driven nastic movements, water moves rapidly in and out of the cells in Pulvini (cushion, thickened pads of tissue at the base of leaf or petiole), which actuate the leaves.
The idea is to mimic the actuation mechanism of plants that respond to stimuli (Venus Flytrap & Mimosa Pudica). I intend to bring my idea to life using elastic materials, casting and molding, parametric design, pneumatics, sensory systems, Arduino and laser cutting.
- Elastic Material: - Silicone
- Parametric Design: - Replicate the behavior of foam bubbles (sphere-packing)
- Pnuematic System: - Airpump, Solenoid valves, Vynil tubes, Bleed Valve.
- Sensors: Touch
Throughout my research, I found previous papers and interesting designs and inspirations:
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