"Robotic Couture..."
About Robotic Protocols, Heretic Machines And a Prosthetic For the Contemporary
This project will focus on the design, concept, and construction of dynamic and responsive object/tool with the technologies of soft robotics. We will design a series of prototypes and investigate transformable prosthetics and extensions for small robots in the lab.
"Robotic Couture..."
-- About Robotic Protocols, Heretic Machines And a Prosthetic For the Contemporary
Project Soft Robotics & Prosthetic Design
Teammate Jian Liu, Tian Lou, Jinghao Xue, Qisen Dong
My Role Interaction design, make the mold and silicon robot, create animation and diagrams.
Software Autodesk Maya, Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, 3ds Max, V-ray, Keyshot, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, After Effect
Instructor Guvenc Ozel, Benjamin Ennemoser & Mertcan Buyuksandalyac
Location UCLA A.UD. SUPRASTUDIO
Exhibition CES conference, Anderson UCLA management school, Los Angeles, US
In this contemporary scenario, heretical machines challenge the constraints of permanence and imply the notion of spatial prosthetics. Just as the introduction of virtual and augmented reality enlarged our capabilities of perception and creation of space, responsive building parts trigger a new conceptualization of vitalism and dynamism in architecture. Regarding this speculation, this project will focus on the design, concept, and construction of dynamic and responsive object/tool with the technologies of soft robotics. We will design a series of prototypes and investigate transformable prosthetics and extensions for small robots in the lab. Since this domain is constrained by the nature of computation and material behavior, we will also explore the domain of intelligent performance, robotic protocols, live-interaction and real-time sensing. The final proposal should follow the trajectories of autonomous entities within the context of the 4th Industrial revolution.
For more background information: Soft Robotics | Harvard Biodesign Lab
Soft Robotic Hand | MIT CSAIL
Presentation Equipments:
Concept Statement
"How they interact with a geometrical object?"
The focus is a scenario where soft-robotics are combined with hard or rigid robotics to see how they interact with a geometrical object.
In this scenario, small robotic arms serve as the sites for our design and the task is to equip or extend them with a tool or gripper. The correlation and performance between the rigid robots and the soft robotics are crucial. We focused on how the overall gestalt and spatial performance of the rigid robots changed over time.
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The soft extensions we designed incorporated all possible movements of rigid robots combined with properties of both soft and rigid.
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The prosthetic extension we designed has to interact with a distinct object with a particular geometry and topology.
We focus on how the final design and object of our robotic extensions are articulated due to the interaction with distinct geometrical objects.
This interaction can be based on lifting, rotating, wrapping, deforming or gripping.
Team Development
"Inflating, Deforming, Lifting"
In phase 1, we explore how soft-robotics work as background research and conceptualize the initial idea. We work on the concept of how the extensions can interact, grab and approach objects which follows specific movements and function in relation to the object. This can involve gestures like lifting, folding, inflation, deflation, and rotation. Within this process, we investigate how the design and topology of molds will influence and guide the final performance of the responsive and transformable object.
Due to the multi-hollow object we are given, we decided to leverage the hollows to let the soft robotics inflating until fills the respective spaces to grab and lift the entire object.
The first step in phase 1 will be the concept of movement and performance with regards to the intention of interaction with the given object. Therefore we animate the journey and simulate sketches first in Maya, Rhino/Grasshopper/ Kangaroo which will later be cast and applied. Using the feedback from digital and physical models, we can adjust design and modeling techniques.
Conceptualized grabbing Strategy
Modelling/Designing the Molds
After revising the first experiments with animation software and physical experiments, the intentions and output will be much sharper and trigger a clear concept of movement and performance of the design. Its relationship to rigid robots acted as the site in the notion of a hard spine or skeleton. For this purpose, we looked into parametric modeling in Maya and the feedback system of scripting in Grasshopper. From this point on, we investigated CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) to create our molds and to cast our soft robotics. Finally, we utilized CNC, Laser cutting, and 3D Printing to complete the fabrication process.
Interaction and Machine Vision
We integrated external devices such as Kinect, Leap Motion, Sensors, Emotiv Epoc and IPad-Touch OSC to control the transformation of the design that resulted from the perception of the external devices. From all this, we created a live interaction pipeline from Computer Vision Devices to design via Grasshopper (Firefly, gHowl), processing and Arduino boards.
Prosthetic Design
Similar to phase1, the investigation looked for a soft robotic couture/prosthetic for the rigid robots in the lab which interacted with a distinct object. The task concentrated on the development of a full-scale design proposal for the rigid robots to the achieve the designs from phase 1. The hard robots acted as a rigid spine or skeleton and the soft proposals determined how to attach and extend them.
Responsive Space and Human Interaction Combination of Concept and Live-Interaction
We also focused on the integration and refinement of the concept in terms of interactivity, vitalism, and dynamism of the design. This means we involved many modern techniques from machine vision. We are looking for a solution to object sensing and the interaction within the context. The final design focused again on three specific moments of gestures and interaction. These three moments showed a particular condition in the relationship of soft and rigid parts and the relationship of the object.
During the final phase, we went on to improve the design and performance as well as focus on the representation of the transformable designs. We looked into drawing techniques such as superimposition of transformation stages, animation, and filming. The final design was represented in a full-scale design on the robots as well as a movie which shows the transformation over time and diagrammatic drawings of the three distinct stages of movement and interaction.