279 research outputs found
Towards the Evolution of Novel Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines
Renewable and sustainable energy is one of the most important challenges
currently facing mankind. Wind has made an increasing contribution to the
world's energy supply mix, but still remains a long way from reaching its full
potential. In this paper, we investigate the use of artificial evolution to
design vertical-axis wind turbine prototypes that are physically instantiated
and evaluated under approximated wind tunnel conditions. An artificial neural
network is used as a surrogate model to assist learning and found to reduce the
number of fabrications required to reach a higher aerodynamic efficiency,
resulting in an important cost reduction. Unlike in other approaches, such as
computational fluid dynamics simulations, no mathematical formulations are used
and no model assumptions are made.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure
HyperCell
This research believes that understanding the relationship between Interactive Architecture and the principles of biology will become a mainstream research area in future architectural design. Aiming towards achieving the goal of âmaking architecture as organic bodiesâ, almost all the current digital techniques in architectural design are executed using computational simulation: digital fabrication technologies and physical computing. Based on itsâ main biological inspirations, Evolutionary Development Biology (Evo-Devo), this research intends to propose a novel bio-inspired design thinking wherein architecture should become analogs to the growing process of living organisms (Figure 6.1). Instead of being born from static optimization results most of the architecture seems content at aiming for nowadays, this research is looking towards designing dynamic architectural bodies which can adapt to the constantly changing environments and are thus seeking optimization in real-time. In other words, architecture should come âaliveâ as a living creature in order to actively optimize itself with respect to dynamic environmental conditions and user behaviorâ requirements in real-time. Following the notion of âarchitecture as organic bodiesâ, six major topics were derived from the publication of âNew Wombs: Electric Bodies and Architectural Disordersâ (Palumbo, 2000). These topics are aimed at initiating critical discussions between body and space, which, are used here to re-interpret six main traits of being an interactive architecture: Dis-measurement, Uprooting, Fluidity, Visceral Nature, Virtuality, and Sensitivity. These six topics merge diverse key points from aforementioned chapters including outlining the vision of active interacting architecture, the transformation of human bodies under digital culture, the profound biological inspiration from Evo-Devo and the fundamental componential notion of swarm, which leads to the ultimate notion of embodying organic body-like interactive Bio-architecture.
Dis-measurement: Acknowledging the premise of âarchitecture (technology) as an extension of human bodiesâ proposed by Marshall McLuhan (McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, 1964), it is, still difficult to explicitly define the boundary of a space, especially in the context of a borderless cyberspace (the Internet). Space in such a context expands more than ever before and thus makes traditional measurements techniques unfeasible. With cyberspace, people can be virtually present in different places at the same time, thus breaking existing physical boundaries of a space. From another point of view, space as an extension of our bodies constantly adapting to environmental conditions and user demands, creates an intimate linkage between physical bodies and spatial bodies. Interaction in such instances can be seen from a micro-scale: between biological cells and intelligent architectural components to the macro-scale: between physical organic bodies and spatial bodies/architectural space.
Uprooting: Apart from further extending the âDis-measurementâ idea by directly plugging into cyberspace (the Internet), âUprootingâ is also interpreted as adaptation devoid of any site/location constraints. In other words, the idea of âUprootingâ implies, generating an architecture that can adjust/modify in accordance with its existing surroundings by interactions between its smallest intelligent components like cells in a body searching for dynamic equilibrium. In this case, architecture has no particular reason to be designed as ârootedâ on sites.
Fluidity: With the neural system inside the body, most of the messages can be transmitted, received and sent within less than a millionth of a second. To envision architecture as an information processor, which has abilities to react to dynamic environmental conditions and user demands, efficient information protocols must be built into such an organic architectural body to create seamless exterior/interior transformations.
Visceral Nature: Visceral can be interpreted in the form of an embodied organ. This implies envisioning architecture in the form of a living-entity. It is no longer the case of mimicking a natural form and thus claiming a building to be organic, but rather instigates one to look deeper into the principles of a natural formâs morphogenesis and apply these to generate a truly organic space. Through the study of Evo-Devo, several principles will be applied to generate an interactive organic Bio-architecture. It is thus not an organic looking shape that matters, but the principles behind the shape, which matter. For instance, principles of self-organization, self-assembly, and self-adaptation, providing possibilities of making body-like architectures with multi-directional and multi-modal communications both inside out and outside in. An intelligent architecture, should âliveâ in the environment just as how the body lives with itsâ Visceral Nature.
Virtuality: It is impossible to talk about physical space without mentioning virtual space nowadays. From cyberspace, augmented reality to virtual reality, âVirtualityâ is related to âinteractionâ since the beginning and has gradually become an inevitable aspect of our daily lives. In fact, virtual space has to still use constraints from the physical world to enhance experiential aspects. The ultimate goal of virtual reality here is not to end up with a VR helmet and keep constantly being stimulated by electronic messages, but to bring the physical to the virtual and in the process, attempt to search for a dynamic balance between the virtual and real by merging them together. With the assistance of virtual reality, novel unrealistic space can still be realized into creative tangible immersive and fascinating spaces, which, earlier was not possible.
Sensitivity: The notion of âarchitecture is an extension of human bodiesâ, is crucial to embrace, if we consider enhancing the sensing abilities of the space as a body not only externally but also internally. In a digital space, active sensing can be achieved by attaching specific devices. In an interactive space, like an organic body, the sensing capabilities of the space have to be fast, accurate, intuitive, and predictive. The sensing system should thus not only work externally to sense the surrounding environment but also internally in order to fulfill the usersâ demands in time. With such a connection between human bodies and spatial bodies, it should become relatively understandable for the space to know the requirements of the users by means of hand gestures instead of verbal cues. The sensitivity, in this case, should rely on local information distribution as a bottom-up system rather than a top-down centralized demanding structure
HyperCell: A Bio-inspired Design Framework for Real-time Interactive Architectures
This pioneering research focuses on Biomimetic Interactive Architecture using âComputationâ, âEmbodimentâ, and âBiologyâ to generate an intimate embodied convergence to propose a novel rule-based design framework for creating organic architectures composed of swarm-based intelligent components. Furthermore, the research boldly claims that Interactive Architecture should emerge as the next truly Organic Architecture. As the world and society are dynamically changing, especially in this digital era, the research dares to challenge the Utilitas, Firmitas, and Venustas of the traditional architectural Weltanschauung, and rejects them by adopting the novel notion that architecture should be dynamic, fluid, and interactive. This project reflects a trajectory from the 1960âs with the advent of the avant-garde architectural design group, Archigram, and its numerous intriguing and pioneering visionary projects. Archigramâs non-standard, mobile, and interactive projects profoundly influenced a new generation of architects to explore the connection between technology and their architectural projects. This research continues this trend of exploring novel design thinking and the framework of Interactive Architecture by discovering the interrelationship amongst three major topics: âComputationâ, âEmbodimentâ, and âBiologyâ. The project aims to elucidate pioneering research combining these three topics in one discourse: âBio-inspired digital architectural designâ. These three major topics will be introduced in this Summary.
âComputationâ, is any type of calculation that includes both arithmetical and nonarithmetical steps and follows a well-defined model understood and described as, for example, an algorithm. But, in this research, refers to the use of data storage, parametric design application, and physical computing for developing informed architectural designs. âFormâ has always been the most critical focus in architectural design, and this focus has also been a major driver behind the application computational design in Architecture. Nonetheless, this research will interpret the term âFormâ in architecture as a continual âinformation processorâ rather than the result of information processing. In other words, âFormâ should not be perceived only as an expressive appearance based computational outcome but rather as a real-time process of information processing, akin to organic âFormationâ. Architecture embodying kinetic ability for adjusting or changing its shape with the ability to process the surroundings and feedback in accordance with its free will with an inherent interactive intelligent movement of a living body. Additionally, it is also crucial to address the question of whether computational technologies are being properly harnessed, if they are only used for form-generating purposes in architecture design, or should this be replaced with real-time information communication and control systems to produce interactive architectures, with embodied computation abilities?
âEmbodimentâ in the context of this research is embedded in Umberto Ecoâs vision on Semiotics, theories underlying media studies in Marshall McLuhanâs âBody Extensionâ (McLuhan, 1964), the contemporary philosophical thought of âBody Without Organsâ (Gilles Deleuze and FĂŠlix Guattari, 1983), the computational Logic of âSwarm Behaviorâ and the philosophical notion of âMonadologyâ proposed by Gottfried Leibniz (Leibniz, 1714). Embodied computation and design are predominant today within the wearable computing and smart living domains, which combine Virtual and Real worlds. Technical progress and prowess in VR development also contribute to advancing 3D smart architectural design and display solutions. The proposed âOrganic body-like architectural spacesâ emphasize upon the realization of a body-like interactive space. Developing Interactive Architecture will imply eliciting the collective intelligence prevalent in nature and the virtual world of Big Data. Interactive Architecture shall thus embody integrated Information exchange protocols and decision-making systems in order to possess organic body-like qualities.
âBiologyâ, in this research explores biomimetic principles intended to create purposedriven kinetic and organic architecture. This involves a detailed study/critique of organic architecture, generating organic shapes, performance optimization based digital fabrication techniques and kinetic systems. A holistic bio-inspired architecture embodies multiple performance criteria akin to natural systems, which integrate structural, infrastructure performances throughout the growth of an organic body. Such a natural morphogenesis process of architectural design explores what Janine M. Benyus described as âlearning the natural processâ. Profoundly influenced by the processes behind morphogenesis, the research further explores Evolutionary Development Biology (Evo-Devo) explaining how embryological regulation strongly affect the resulting formations. Evo-Devo in interactive architecture implies the development of architecture based on three fundamental principles: âSimple to Complexâ, âGeometric Information Distributionâ, and âOn/Off Switch and Trigger.â
The research seeks to create a relatively intelligent architectural body, and the tactile interactive spatial environment by applying the extracted knowledge from the study of the aforementioned principles of Evo-Devo in the following fashion:
A. Extract a Self-Similar Componential System based approach from the âSimple to Complexâ principle of Evo-Devo
B. Extract the idea of âCollective Intelligenceâ from âGeometric information Distributionâ principle of Evo-Devo
C. Extract the principle of âAssembly Regulationâ from âOn/Off switch and triggerâ principle of Evo-Devo
The âHyperCellâ research, through an elaborate investigation on the three aforementioned topics, develops a design framework for developing real-time adaptive spatial systems. HyperCell does this, by developing a system of transformable cubic elements which can self-organize, adapt and interact in real-time. These Hypercells shall comprise an organic space which can adjust itself in relation to our human bodies. The furniture system is literally reified and embodied to develop an intra-active space that proactively provokes human movement. The space thus acquires an emotive dimension and can become your pet, partner, or even friend, and might also involve multiple usabilities of the same space. The research and its progression were also had actively connected with a 5-year collaborative European Culture project: âMetaBodyâ.
The research thus involves exploration of Interactive Architecture from the following perspectives: architectural design, digital architectural history trajectory, computational technology, philosophical discourse related to the embodiment, media and digital culture, current VR and body-related technology, and Evolutionary Developmental Biology. âHyperCellâ will encourage young architects to pursue interdisciplinary design initiatives via the fusion of computational design, embodiment, and biology for developing bio-inspired organic architectures
HyperCell: A Bio-inspired Design Framework for Real-time Interactive Architectures
This pioneering research focuses on Biomimetic Interactive Architecture using ââŹĹComputationââŹ, ââŹĹEmbodimentââŹ, and ââŹĹBiologyâ⏠to generate an intimate embodied convergence to propose a novel rule-based design framework for creating organic architectures composed of swarm-based intelligent components. Furthermore, the research boldly claims that Interactive Architecture should emerge as the next truly Organic Architecture. As the world and society are dynamically changing, especially in this digital era, the research dares to challenge the Utilitas, Firmitas, and Venustas of the traditional architectural Weltanschauung, and rejects them by adopting the novel notion that architecture should be dynamic, fluid, and interactive. This project reflects a trajectory from the 1960ââŹâ˘s with the advent of the avant-garde architectural design group, Archigram, and its numerous intriguing and pioneering visionary projects. ArchigramââŹâ˘s non-standard, mobile, and interactive projects profoundly influenced a new generation of architects to explore the connection between technology and their architectural projects. This research continues this trend of exploring novel design thinking and the framework of Interactive Architecture by discovering the interrelationship amongst three major topics: ââŹĹComputationââŹ, ââŹĹEmbodimentââŹ, and ââŹĹBiologyââŹ. The project aims to elucidate pioneering research combining these three topics in one discourse: ââŹĹBio-inspired digital architectural designââŹ. These three major topics will be introduced in this Summary.
ââŹĹComputationââŹ, is any type of calculation that includes both arithmetical and nonarithmetical steps and follows a well-defined model understood and described as, for example, an algorithm. But, in this research, refers to the use of data storage, parametric design application, and physical computing for developing informed architectural designs. ââŹĹFormâ⏠has always been the most critical focus in architectural design, and this focus has also been a major driver behind the application computational design in Architecture. Nonetheless, this research will interpret the term ââŹĹFormâ⏠in architecture as a continual ââŹĹinformation processorâ⏠rather than the result of information processing. In other words, ââŹĹFormâ⏠should not be perceived only as an expressive appearance based computational outcome but rather as a real-time process of information processing, akin to organic ââŹĹFormationââŹ. Architecture embodying kinetic ability for adjusting or changing its shape with the ability to process the surroundings and feedback in accordance with its free will with an inherent interactive intelligent movement of a living body. Additionally, it is also crucial to address the question of whether computational technologies are being properly harnessed, if they are only used for form-generating purposes in architecture design, or should this be replaced with real-time information communication and control systems to produce interactive architectures, with embodied computation abilities?
ââŹĹEmbodimentâ⏠in the context of this research is embedded in Umberto EcoââŹâ˘s vision on Semiotics, theories underlying media studies in Marshall McLuhanââŹâ˘s ââŹĹBody Extensionâ⏠(McLuhan, 1964), the contemporary philosophical thought of ââŹĹBody Without Organsâ⏠(Gilles Deleuze and FĂŠlix Guattari, 1983), the computational Logic of ââŹËSwarm BehaviorââŹâ˘ and the philosophical notion of ââŹĹMonadologyâ⏠proposed by Gottfried Leibniz (Leibniz, 1714). Embodied computation and design are predominant today within the wearable computing and smart living domains, which combine Virtual and Real worlds. Technical progress and prowess in VR development also contribute to advancing 3D smart architectural design and display solutions. The proposed ââŹËOrganic body-like architectural spacesââŹâ˘ emphasize upon the realization of a body-like interactive space. Developing Interactive Architecture will imply eliciting the collective intelligence prevalent in nature and the virtual world of Big Data. Interactive Architecture shall thus embody integrated Information exchange protocols and decision-making systems in order to possess organic body-like qualities.
ââŹĹBiologyââŹ, in this research explores biomimetic principles intended to create purposedriven kinetic and organic architecture. This involves a detailed study/critique of organic architecture, generating organic shapes, performance optimization based digital fabrication techniques and kinetic systems. A holistic bio-inspired architecture embodies multiple performance criteria akin to natural systems, which integrate structural, infrastructure performances throughout the growth of an organic body. Such a natural morphogenesis process of architectural design explores what Janine M. Benyus described as ââŹĹlearning the natural processââŹ. Profoundly influenced by the processes behind morphogenesis, the research further explores Evolutionary Development Biology (Evo-Devo) explaining how embryological regulation strongly affect the resulting formations. Evo-Devo in interactive architecture implies the development of architecture based on three fundamental principles: ââŹĹSimple to ComplexââŹ, ââŹĹGeometric Information DistributionââŹ, and ââŹĹOn/Off Switch and Trigger.ââŹ
The research seeks to create a relatively intelligent architectural body, and the tactile interactive spatial environment by applying the extracted knowledge from the study of the aforementioned principles of Evo-Devo in the following fashion:
A. Extract a Self-Similar Componential Systembased approach from the ââŹĹSimple to Complexâ⏠principle of Evo-Devo
B. Extract the idea of ââŹĹCollective Intelligenceâ⏠from ââŹĹGeometric information Distributionâ⏠principle of Evo-Devo
C. Extract the principle of ââŹĹAssembly Regulationâ⏠from ââŹĹOn/Off switch and triggerâ⏠principle of Evo-Devo
The ââŹĹHyperCellâ⏠research, through an elaborate investigation on the three aforementioned topics, develops a design framework for developing real-time adaptive spatial systems. HyperCell does this, by developing a system of transformable cubic elements which can self-organize, adapt and interact in real-time. These Hypercells shall comprise an organic space which can adjust itself in relation to our human bodies. The furniture system is literally reified and embodied to develop an intra-active space that proactively provokes human movement. The space thus acquires an emotive dimension and can become your pet, partner, or even friend, and might also involve multiple usabilities of the same space. The research and its progression were also had actively connected with a 5-year collaborative European Culture project: ââŹĹMetaBodyââŹ.
The research thus involves exploration of Interactive Architecture from the following perspectives: architectural design, digital architectural history trajectory, computational technology, philosophical discourse related to the embodiment, media and digital culture, current VR and body-related technology, and Evolutionary Developmental Biology. ââŹĹHyperCellâ⏠will encourage young architects to pursue interdisciplinary design initiatives via the fusion of computational design, embodiment, and biology for developing bio-inspired organic architectures
Concept of Modular Kinematics to Design Ultra-high Precision Parallel Robots
Miniaturisation will be the key challenge for the next decade in numerous industrial fields, such as microelectronics, optics and biomedical engineering. Although most of their products already achieve footprints of some square millimeters, the trend towards the integration of a maximum number of elements in a minimal volume requires even more compact components. This tendency creates a growing need for industrial robots able to perform micromanipulation and microassembly tasks with a submicrometric precision. Nonetheless, the design of such machines is nowadays costly, both in time and money, mostly because of the twofold complexity of their development: first, from a kinematic standpoint, the use of a parallel structure consists in a particularly interesting approach to build ultra-high precision robots. However, the synthesis of such a kinematics proves especially challenging for machines presenting more than 3 degrees of freedom. Moreover, the resulting robots are scarcely flexible: if the industrial specifications are modified, which for example necessitates to add a degree of freedom or to change the position of a rotation centre, the design process has to be restarted, often from the very beginning. The second challenge consists in the mechanical design of flexure-based mechanisms: flexure hinges are joints which are based on the elasticity of the matter. They allow to perform motions which are without friction, backlash and wear; their use is thus mandatory to achieve the aimed submicrometric precision. Albeit the synthesis of planar and low-degree of freedom structures is now widely investigated, the development of a whole tridimensional flexure-based robot is still infrequent, especially in the industrial context. This thesis thus introduces a modular design methodology which significantly reduces the time-to-market of ultra-high precision robots. This procedure can be compared to a robotic Lego, where a finite number of conceptual building bricks allows to easily design and modify parallel robots. Furthermore, this work shows that the machines resulting from this approach present similar or even improved performances compared to robots developed more traditionally. The key aspect of this thesis consists in the concept of modular kinematics, which aims at facilitating the synthesis of parallel kinematics thanks to solution catalogues. At this step of the methodology, the conceptual building bricks and the kinematics are totally independent from any mechanical design: they can thus be used to synthesise a large variety of robots, from machine-tools to microscale robots. An exhaustive conceptual solution catalogue groups all kinematics generated by the combination of the building bricks. Then, a reduced solution catalogue for ultra-high precision is proposed: based on selection criteria linked with the design and machining of flexure-based mechanisms, it allows to reduce the total number of solutions and thus facilitates the practical use of the concept. The second part of this work details the mechanical design of the building bricks, whose main challenge consists in increasing the ratio between the working ranges of the mechanisms and their overall size. One or more flexure-based solutions have been developed for each motorised brick: a special emphasis is given to the original use of a Remote Centre of Motion, which allows to achieve high rotation angles while drastically reducing parasitic translations. The development of a standardised actuation sub-brick, common to all motorised bricks, introduces a new level of modularity, thus increasing even more the flexibility of the methodology. As for non-actuated bricks, original designs and uncommon uses of well-known mechanisms are proposed. A case study on a 5-degree of freedom robot, Legolas 5, finally illustrates the practical use of the methodology: first, the selection in the solution catalogue of a kinematics adapted to the specifications of the robot is detailed. Then, the development of the Legolas 5 prototype highlights the mechanical design of the necessary building bricks, as well as assembly subtleties, such as force alignment and gravity compensation, which allow to shrewdly design a high-performance robot. The measurements of this machine have shown motion resolution and repeatability of 50 nm in translation and 1.9 Âľrad in rotation (limited by the sensor resolution). This case study has generated the Legolas family, a new family of ultra-high precision parallel robots, which notably includes the orthogonal version of the Delta kinematics: using only 6 of the conceptual building bricks, one solution can be built for each of the 19 possible robot mobilities. The promising characterisation of the Legolas 5 tends to suggest that the robots from this family will be interesting candidates to fulfill the upcoming need for quickly designed and high-performance industrial ultra-high precision machines
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