On Folding: Towards a New Field of Interdisciplinary Research

It is only recently, with the increasing interest in origami and folding in natural sciences and the humanities, that the fold as a new conception in a whole range of disciplines has begun to be conceived in a broader way. Folding as a material and structural process offers a new methodology to think about the close relationship of matter, form and code. It henceforth crosses out old dichotomies, such as the organic and the inorganic or nature and technology, and blurs the boundaries between experimental, conceptual and historical approaches. This anthology aims to unfold this new interdisciplinary field and its disciplinary impact, ranging from materials science, biology, architecture, and mathematics to literature and philosophy

Origami-inspired structures and materials: analysis and metamaterial properties and seismic design of hybrid masonry structural systems

This dissertation includes two major sections. The first section presents the research on creating and studying novel classes of origami-inspired metamaterials and structures. The second section deals with seismic design of hybrid masonry structural systems. 1) Origami-Inspired Structures and Materials Origami, the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, has been recognized to be a significant source of inspiration in science and engineering. Specifically, its principles have been used for innovative design of mechanical metamaterials for which material properties arise from their geometry and structural layout. Most research on origami-inspired materials relies on known patterns, especially on the Miura-ori, i.e., a classic origami pattern with outstanding properties and a wide range of applications. Motivated by outstanding properties and a broad range of applications of the Miura-ori, in this dissertation, inspired by the kinematics of a one-degree of freedom zigzag strip, we create a novel class of cellular folded sheet mechanical metamaterials. The class of the patterns combines origami folding techniques with kirigami cutting. Using both analytical and numerical models, we study the key mechanical properties of the folded materials. We show that they possess properties as remarkable as those of the Miura-ori on which there has been a surge of research interest. Consequently, the introduced patterns are single degree of freedom (DOF), developable, rigid-foldable and flat-foldable. Furthermore, we show that depending on the geometry, these materials exhibit both negative and positive in-plane Poisson’s ratio. By introducing a novel class of zigzag-base materials, the current study extends the properties of the Miura-ori to those of the class of one-DOF zigzag-base patterns, and our work shows that Miura-ori is only one pattern in this class with such properties. Hence, by expanding upon the design space of the Miura-ori, our patterns are appropriate for a wide range of applications, from mechanical metamaterials to light cellular foldcore sandwich panels and deployable structures at both small and large scales. Furthermore, this study unifies the concept of the in-plane Poisson’s ratio from the literature for similar materials and extends it to this novel class of zigzag-base folded sheet metamaterials. Moreover, in this dissertation, by dislocating the zigzag strips of a Miura-ori pattern along the joining ridges, we create a class of one-degree of freedom (DOF) cellular mechanical metamaterials. We further show that dislocating zigzag strips of the Miura-ori along the joining ridges, preserves and/or tunes the outstanding properties of the Miura-ori. The introduced materials are lighter than their corresponding Miura-ori patterns due to the presence of holes in the patterns. They are also amenable to similar modifications available for Miura-ori which make them appropriate for a wide range of applications across the length scales. Additionally, we study the Eggbox pattern. Similarly to Miura-ori, a regular Eggbox folded sheet includes parallelogram facets which are connected along fold lines. However, Eggbox sheets cannot be folded from a flat sheet of material, and contrary to Miura-ori which has received considerable interest in the literature, there are fewer studies available on Eggbox folded sheet material. By employing both analytical and numerical models, we review and study the key in-plane mechanical properties of the Eggbox folded sheet, and we present cellular folded metamaterials containing Miura-ori and Eggbox cells. The entire structure of the folded materials is a one-DOF mechanism system and, similarly to Eggbox sheets, the materials composed of layers of Eggbox folded sheets are bi-directionally flat-foldable, resulting in a material flexible in those directions, but stiff in the third direction. 2) Seismic Design of Hybrid Masonry Structural Systems Hybrid masonry is an innovative seismic lateral-load resisting system. The system comprises reinforced masonry panels within a steel-framed structure as well as steel connector plates which attach the surrounding steel frame to the masonry panel. Depending on the interfacial conditions between a masonry panel and the steel frame, the system is categorized into three major groups: Types I, II and III. The first part of the research on hybrid masonry systems, in this dissertation, includes a series of exploratory studies aimed at understanding the global behavior of various types of hybrid masonry panels and setting the stage for the study on seismic design of the systems. In this regard, computational analyses were carried out to study the distribution of lateral forces between a masonry panel and a frame in various types of hybrid masonry structural systems. The results are used to demonstrate differences in lateral-force distributions in hybrid masonry systems with different boundary conditions and with various panel aspect ratios as well as with different stiffness of the wall to that of the frame. Furthermore, this study presents the general methodology for seismic design of Type I hybrid masonry systems as well as the steps of a capacity design process in which two favorable ductile modes of behavior are considered: steel connector plates behaving as fuses or flexural yielding of the masonry panels. Moreover, using the proposed approaches we design several prototype buildings located in a high seismic region and investigate viability of hybrid masonry as a new seismic lateral-load resisting system. According to this design framework and the exploratory studies, both approaches are shown to be feasible for developing realistic system configurations. Finally, in this study, an integrated approach for performance-based seismic analysis and design of hybrid masonry Type I systems with fuse connector plates is presented. The procedure used in this study is based on the Capacity Spectrum Method. The proposed method includes an iterative process through which a hybrid masonry structural system with fuse connector plates is designed depending on its energy dissipation capacity. In this regard, the value of the system R factor is regulated in the process. In this study, application of the method for design of a sample hybrid masonry building system is presented

Advanced study of coastal zone oceanographic requirements for ERTS E and F

Earth Resources Technology Satellites E and F orbits and remote sensor instruments for coastal oceanographic data collectio

At the crossroads of big science, open science, and technology transfer

Les grans infraestructures científiques s’enfronten a demandes creixents de responsabilitat pública, no només per la seva contribució al descobriment científic, sinó també per la seva capacitat de generar valor econòmic secundari. Per construir i operar les seves infraestructures sofisticades, sovint generen tecnologies frontereres dissenyant i construint solucions tècniques per a problemes d’enginyeria complexos i sense precedents. En paral·lel, la dècada anterior ha presenciat la ràpida irrupció de canvis tecnològics que han afectat la manera com es fa i es comparteix la ciència, cosa que ha comportat l’emergència del concepte d’Open Science (OS). Els governs avancen ràpidament vers aquest paradigma de OS i demanen a les grans infraestructures científiques que "obrin" els seus processos científics. No obstant, aquestes dues forces s'oposen, ja que la comercialització de tecnologies i resultats científics requereixen normalment d’inversions financeres importants i les empreses només estan disposades a assumir aquest cost si poden protegir la innovació de la imitació o de la competència deslleial. Aquesta tesi doctoral té com a objectiu comprendre com les noves aplicacions de les TIC afecten els resultats de la recerca i la transferència de tecnologia resultant en el context de les grans infraestructures científiques. La tesis pretén descobrir les tensions entre aquests dos vectors normatius, així com identificar els mecanismes que s’utilitzen per superar-les. La tesis es compon de quatre estudis: 1) Un estudi que aplica un mètode de recerca mixt que combina dades de dues enquestes d’escala global realitzades online (2016, 2018), amb dos cas d’estudi de dues comunitats científiques en física d’alta energia i biologia molecular que avaluen els factors explicatius darrere les pràctiques de compartir dades per part dels científics; 2) Un estudi de cas d’Open Targets, una infraestructura d’informació basada en dades considerades bens comuns, on el Laboratori Europeu de Biologia Molecular-EBI i empreses farmacèutiques col·laboren i comparteixen dades científiques i eines tecnològiques per accelerar el descobriment de medicaments; 3) Un estudi d’un conjunt de dades únic de 170 projectes finançats en el marc d’ATTRACT (un nou instrument de la Comissió Europea liderat per les grans infraestructures científiques europees) que té com a objectiu comprendre la naturalesa del procés de serendipitat que hi ha darrere de la transició de tecnologies de grans infraestructures científiques a aplicacions comercials abans no anticipades. ; i 4) un cas d’estudi sobre la tecnologia White Rabbit, un hardware sofisticat de codi obert desenvolupat al Consell Europeu per a la Recerca Nuclear (CERN) en col·laboració amb un extens ecosistema d’empreses.Las grandes infraestructuras científicas se enfrentan a crecientes demandas de responsabilidad pública, no solo por su contribución al descubrimiento científico sino también por su capacidad de generar valor económico para la sociedad. Para construir y operar sus sofisticadas infraestructuras, a menudo generan tecnologías de vanguardia al diseñar y construir soluciones técnicas para problemas de ingeniería complejos y sin precedentes. Paralelamente, la década anterior ha visto la irrupción de rápidos cambios tecnológicos que afectan la forma en que se genera y comparte la ciencia, lo que ha llevado a acuñar el concepto de Open Science (OS). Los gobiernos se están moviendo rápidamente hacia este nuevo paradigma y están pidiendo a las grandes infraestructuras científicas que "abran" el proceso científico. Sin embargo, estas dos fuerzas se oponen, ya que la comercialización de tecnología y productos científicos generalmente requiere importantes inversiones financieras y las empresas están dispuestas a asumir este coste solo si pueden proteger la innovación de la imitación o la competencia desleal. Esta tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo comprender cómo las nuevas aplicaciones de las TIC están afectando los resultados científicos y la transferencia de tecnología resultante en el contexto de las grandes infraestructuras científicas. La tesis pretende descubrir las tensiones entre estas dos fuerzas normativas e identificar los mecanismos que se emplean para superarlas. La tesis se compone de cuatro estudios: 1) Un estudio que emplea un método mixto de investigación que combina datos de dos encuestas de escala global realizadas online (2016, 2018), con dos caso de estudio sobre dos comunidades científicas distintas -física de alta energía y biología molecular- que evalúan los factores explicativos detrás de las prácticas de intercambio de datos científicos; 2) Un caso de estudio sobre Open Targets, una infraestructura de información basada en datos considerados como bienes comunes, donde el Laboratorio Europeo de Biología Molecular-EBI y compañías farmacéuticas colaboran y comparten datos científicos y herramientas tecnológicas para acelerar el descubrimiento de fármacos; 3) Un estudio de un conjunto de datos único de 170 proyectos financiados bajo ATTRACT, un nuevo instrumento de la Comisión Europea liderado por grandes infraestructuras científicas europeas, que tiene como objetivo comprender la naturaleza del proceso fortuito detrás de la transición de las tecnologías de grandes infraestructuras científicas a aplicaciones comerciales previamente no anticipadas ; y 4) un estudio de caso de la tecnología White Rabbit, un sofisticado hardware de código abierto desarrollado en el Consejo Europeo de Investigación Nuclear (CERN) en colaboración con un extenso ecosistema de empresas.Big science infrastructures are confronting increasing demands for public accountability, not only within scientific discovery but also their capacity to generate secondary economic value. To build and operate their sophisticated infrastructures, big science often generates frontier technologies by designing and building technical solutions to complex and unprecedented engineering problems. In parallel, the previous decade has seen the disruption of rapid technological changes impacting the way science is done and shared, which has led to the coining of the concept of Open Science (OS). Governments are quickly moving towards the OS paradigm and asking big science centres to "open up” the scientific process. Yet these two forces run in opposition as the commercialization of scientific outputs usually requires significant financial investments and companies are willing to bear this cost only if they can protect the innovation from imitation or unfair competition. This PhD dissertation aims at understanding how new applications of ICT are affecting primary research outcomes and the resultant technology transfer in the context of big and OS. It attempts to uncover the tensions in these two normative forces and identify the mechanisms that are employed to overcome them. The dissertation is comprised of four separate studies: 1) A mixed-method study combining two large-scale global online surveys to research scientists (2016, 2018), with two case studies in high energy physics and molecular biology scientific communities that assess explanatory factors behind scientific data-sharing practices; 2) A case study of Open Targets, an information infrastructure based upon data commons, where European Molecular Biology Laboratory-EBI and pharmaceutical companies collaborate and share scientific data and technological tools to accelerate drug discovery; 3) A study of a unique dataset of 170 projects funded under ATTRACT -a novel policy instrument of the European Commission lead by European big science infrastructures- which aims to understand the nature of the serendipitous process behind transitioning big science technologies to previously unanticipated commercial applications; and 4) a case study of White Rabbit technology, a sophisticated open-source hardware developed at the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) in collaboration with an extensive ecosystem of companies

Solar Seismology from Space. a Conference at Snowmass, Colorado

The quality of the ground based observing environment suffers from several degrading factors: diurnal interruptions and thermal variations, atmospheric seeing and transparency fluctuations and adverse weather interruptions are among the chief difficulties. The limited fraction of the solar surface observable from only one vantage point is also a potential limitation to the quality of the data available without going to space. Primary conference goals were to discuss in depth the scientific return from current observations and analyses of solar oscillations, to discuss the instrumental and site requirements for realizing the full potential of the seismic analysis method, and to help bring new workers into the field by collecting and summarizing the key background theory. At the conclusion of the conference there was a clear consensus that ground based observation would not be able to provide data of the quality required to permit a substantial analysis of the solar convection zone dynamics or to permit a full deduction of the solar interior structure

Articulating Space: Geometric Algebra for Parametric Design -- Symmetry, Kinematics, and Curvature

To advance the use of geometric algebra in practice, we develop computational methods for parameterizing spatial structures with the conformal model. Three discrete parameterizations – symmetric, kinematic, and curvilinear – are employed to generate space groups, linkage mechanisms, and rationalized surfaces. In the process we illustrate techniques that directly benefit from the underlying mathematics, and demonstrate how they might be applied to various scenarios. Each technique engages the versor – as opposed to matrix – representation of transformations, which allows for structure-preserving operations on geometric primitives. This covariant methodology facilitates constructive design through geometric reasoning: incidence and movement are expressed in terms of spatial variables such as lines, circles and spheres. In addition to providing a toolset for generating forms and transformations in computer graphics, the resulting expressions could be used in the design and fabrication of machine parts, tensegrity systems, robot manipulators, deployable structures, and freeform architectures. Building upon existing algorithms, these methods participate in the advancement of geometric thinking, developing an intuitive spatial articulation that can be creatively applied across disciplines, ranging from time-based media to mechanical and structural engineering, or reformulated in higher dimensions