Simulation of a flowing snow avalanche using molecular dynamics

This paper presents an approach for the modeling and simulation of a flowing snow avalanche, which is formed of dry and liquefied snow that slides down a slope, using molecular dynamics and the discrete element method. A particle system is utilized as a base method for the simulation and marching cubes with real-time shaders are employed for rendering. A uniform grid-based neighbor search algorithm is used for collision detection for interparticle and particleterrain interactions. A mass-spring model of the collision resolution is employed to mimic the compressibility of the snow and particle attraction forces are put into use between the particles and terrain surface. In order to achieve greater performance, general purpose GPU language and multithreaded programming are utilized for collision detection and resolution. The results are displayed with different combinations of rendering methods for the realistic representation of the flowing avalanche. © TÜB̄TAK

Psicobag

Psicobag is a waterproof, accessible, chalk dispersal system for the deep water solo climber. Psicobag uses a system of valves to spray chalk powder onto the hand when pumped, then seals instantly upon water submersion so the chalk remains dry and ready for the next ascent of the rock face

Techno-Whimsy

None provided

Paper, Pulp, And Place: Investigating Connections Through Process Art

A small papermaking studio was assembled for making archival quality handmade papers and pulps appropriate for printmaking, book arts, and paper cast to demonstrate the connections between artist practice, materials, and medium through process art. In the home studio a variety of machine-made cotton and abaca linters from an artist supplier were torn by hand and beaten by individual fiber types with a standard kitchen blender. Common papermaking additives were mixed into the pulp in controlled measurements to improve quality and colors. Application of the wet sheets and pulps for papercast and dried 3-dimensional paper sheets demonstrated that the blender method for pulping was effective for small studio work. With the formation of papercasts and sheets the artist interpreted and represented the narrative subjects of trauma and connected experience with the narrative of labor and formation inherent in the process art. This suggests that by working with an art substance through many steps of production, an artist has more control and connection to the medium itself creating a deeper dialog between process art and material applications

Surging Seepage: A Triple Bond Accretion System

My current work revels in a state of flux. I strive for the work to be electrically charged, conveying a feverish sense of immediacy and vitality that implies motion and frenetic energy. The work is an accretion of brightly colored biomorphic forms that extend out from the wall and onto the floor. Viscous parts ooze and drip while others are globular and bulbous. The hyper-organic forms suggest a paradoxical state of both ripening and rotting, becoming and unbecoming. The work is an attempt to traverse between seemingly divergent constructs, some of which include: growth and decay, the artificial and the natural, the body and the landscape, the infinite and the miniscule, and the real and the imagined. I intend for the works to be suggestive of mutation, of systems becoming cross-wired and melting into each other

Simulation of a flowing snow avalanche using molecular dynamics

Ankara : The Department of Computer Engineering and the Institute of Engineering and Science of Bilkent University, 2010.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2010.Includes bibliographical references leaves 45-50.This thesis presents an approach for modeling and simulation of a flowing snow avalanche, which is formed of dry and liquefied snow that slides down a slope, by using molecular dynamics and discrete element method. A particle system is utilized as a base method for the simulation and marching cubes with real-time shaders are employed for rendering. A uniform grid based neighbor search algorithm is used for collision detection for inter-particle and particle-terrain interactions. A mass-spring model of collision resolution is employed to mimic compressibility of snow and particle attraction forces are put into use between particles and terrain surface. In order to achieve greater performance, general purpose GPU language and multi-threaded program-ming is utilized for collision detection and resolution. The results are dis-played with different combinations of rendering methods for the realistic re-presentation of the flowing avalanche.Güçer, DenizhanM.S

Digital Alchemy: Matter and Metamorphosis in Contemporary Digital Animation and Interface Design

The recent proliferation of special effects in Hollywood film has ushered in an era of digital transformation. Among scholars, digital technology is hailed as a revolutionary moment in the history of communication and representation. Nevertheless, media scholars and cultural historians have difficulty finding a language adequate to theorizing digital artifacts because they are not just texts to be deciphered. Rather, digital media artifacts also invite critiques about the status of reality because they resurrect ancient problems of embodiment and transcendence.In contrast to scholarly approaches to digital technology, computer engineers, interface designers, and special effects producers have invented a robust set of terms and phrases to describe the practice of digital animation. In order to address this disconnect between producers of new media and scholars of new media, I argue that the process of digital animation borrows extensively from a set of preexisting terms describing materiality that were prominent for centuries prior to the scientific revolution. Specifically, digital animators and interface designers make use of the ancient science, art, and technological craft of alchemy. Both alchemy and digital animation share several fundamental elements: both boast the power of being able to transform one material, substance, or thing into a different material, substance, or thing. Both seek to transcend the body and materiality but in the process, find that this elusive goal (realism and gold) is forever receding onto the horizon.The introduction begins with a literature review of the field of digital media studies. It identifies a gap in the field concerning disparate arguments about new media technology. On the one hand, scholars argue that new technologies like cyberspace and digital technology enable radical new forms of engagement with media on individual, social, and economic levels. At the same time that media scholars assert that our current epoch is marked by a historical rupture, many other researchers claim that new media are increasingly characterized by ancient metaphysical problems like embodiment and transcendence. In subsequent chapters I investigate this disparity

Feasibility Study of Custom Manufacturing of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Sensors

The ability to create an ion exchange membrane with any shape or thickness through custom manufacturing techniques is highly desirable in ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) research. This is caused by the poor selection and limited availability of certain thicknesses of commercial ion exchange membranes. The objective of this study is to determine the feasibility of manufacturing custom ion exchange membranes for IPMC sensors. The manufacturing methods used in this study are extrusion, injection molding, and hot pressing. A commercial membrane from Golden Energy Fuel Cells (GEFC) is used as a comparison. After the membranes are fabricated, certain properties of the membranes are tested throughout each processing stage to determine if they are suitable to be developed into IPMCs. The three processing stages are pre-activation, activation (hydrated and dehydrated), and IPMC. It was observed that the stiffness of the membranes increased from pre-activation to activation and decreased from activation to IPMC. A more flexible membrane in an IPMC allows for larger cation displacement within the membrane. The extruded and injection molded membranes showed the most potential with having the lowest stiffness of all the samples; however, they were not able to be made into IPMCs due to repeated membrane failures in the primary plating process. Gas accumulated between the layers that formed in the membranes due to the extrusion and injection molding cooling process during manufacturing. The hot pressed membrane was the only custom manufactured membrane to be fully processed into an IPMC. The hot pressed and GEFC IPMC sensors were operated at 1 Hz, 5 Hz, and 10 Hz frequencies with the GEFC IPMC producing the strongest output voltage signal. While the extruded and injection molded membranes showed potential to become IPMCs with their high water uptake percentage, high ion exchange capacity, and low stiffness, more development is needed within the manufacturing process to make a uniform sample that does not fail during chemical processing

CTRL SHIFT

CTRL SHIFT makes a case for design under contemporary computation. The abstractions of reading, writing, metaphors, mythology, code, cryptography, interfaces, and other such symbolic languages are leveraged as tools for understanding. Alternative modes of knowledge become access points through which users can subvert the control structures of software. By challenging the singular expertise of programmers, the work presented within advocates for the examination of internalized beliefs, the redistribution of networked power, and the collective sabotage of computational authority

Microparticle Production Using 3D-Printed Microfluidic Devices

Microfluidic applications often face challenges such as the necessity for costly cleanrooms, limited to single-level designs, and labor-intensive preparation processes that are prone to errors. These constraints significantly hinder the capabilities of laboratories that require cost-effective methods for conducting research with microfluidic devices. Fortunately, the emerging capabilities of 3D printing technology, particularly its improving resolution, offer a promising solution to these issues. 3D printing allows for a less laborious, more scalable approach to crafting complex, multi-level microfluidic devices. However, developing an effective droplet generator comes with its own set of challenges such as achieving precise control over droplet size, ensuring uniform droplet production, and managing fluid dynamics within complex microfluidic networks. This thesis addresses these challenges by introducing a novel method for producing drug-laden microparticles using a high-throughput, branched, multi-level droplet generator, all implemented using a commercially available 3D printer alongside freely accessible CAD and slicer software. This advancement enables researchers to swiftly share and create innovative designs, significantly reducing both time and cost in the production process