Physical Computing Design Tools
Interactive Demo 1: Assembler Control Interactive Demo 2: Voxel Simuation Interactive Demo 3: Convolutional Neural Network The Physical Computing Design tool is an integrated design tool for the design, simulation, optimization and fabrication of reconfigurable computing systems. Traditional electronics design workflows follow a sequential linear process that starts with design, then analysis and simulation, and finally system fabrication and testing. Often these stages are executed independently from each other, using different tools, making it hard to translate the feedback from the simulation or testing stages into viable design amendments. This adds considerable inefficiency to an inherently iterative design workflow. As an alternative, I developed an integrated, closed loop DICE design tool where one can design, simulate, optimize and fabricate re-configurable computing systems. This novel integrated design workflow paves the way for the design of discrete integrated circuits but also reconfigurable computing systems that can change and evolve while execution as needed. CBA | Under Development | Individual Physical Computing Design Tools Graduate, PhD MetaVoxels Graduate, PhD
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MetaVoxels
Tools for the design and simulation of metavoxels (mechanical meta-material/voxel lattice structures). Interactive Demo 1: Tendons Modeling Interactive Demo 2: Rover Interactive Demo 3: Chiral Voxel Interactive Demo 4: 5*5 Voxel Lattice CBA | Currently under development | Individual Physical Computing Design Tools Graduate, PhD MetaVoxels Graduate, PhD
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Swarm Assembly
Link to MIT News Article: Assembler robots make large structures from little pieces Link to Paper: Material-Robot System for Assembly of Discrete Cellular Structures Link to Detailed Documentation and Interactive Demo Research on the inverse kinematics, path planning and control of a swarm of relative robots to assemble discrete digital material. CBA | Spring 2019 | Individual Physical Computing Design Tools Graduate, PhD MetaVoxels Graduate, PhD
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COVID Paticle Simulator
Link for Online Interactive Demo. This is an interactive visualization to help people understand how different parameters affect the spread of COVID 19. The simulation has 100,000 particles moving either randomly (or only going to central location), and using the GPU to massively parallelized the computation and visualization of the spread of the disease. On the top left, one could change some parameters like the percentage of people infected at the start of the pandemic, the infection probability given you are at close distance with an infected person, radius where the disease can be transmitted as well as how much time it takes until the symptoms appear. One can also change policies like being quarantined (only a small percentage of the population can move around). At the bottom of the screen a SIR (susceptible-infected-removed) model is calculated to see the total infected vs time and see the efficacy of different strategies when dealing with the pandemic. CBA| Spring 2020 | Individual Physical Computing Design Tools Graduate, PhD MetaVoxels Graduate, PhD
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Shape Morphing: Swarm Magnetics
Professor: Panagiotis Michalatos Course: MDes Technology Final Thesis Part Published in ACADIA 2017 In an attempt to design shape-morphing multifunctional objects, this thesis uses programmable matter to design self-organizing multi-agent systems capable of morphing from one shape into another. The research looks at various precedents of self-assembly and modular robotics to design and prototype passive agents that could be cheaply mass-produced. Intelligence will be embedded into these agents on a material level, designing different local interactions to perform different global goals. The initial exploratory study looks at various examples from nature like plankton and molecules. Magnetic actuation is chosen as the external actuation force between agents. The research uses simultaneous digital and physical investigations to understand and design the interactions between agents. The project offers a systemic investigation of the effect of shape, interparticle forces, and surface friction on the packing and reconfiguration of granular systems. The ability to change the system state from a gaseous, liquid, then solid state offers new possibilities in the field of material computation, where one can design a “material” and change its properties on demand. Harvard GSD | Spring 2017 | Individual Physical Computing Design Tools Graduate, PhD MetaVoxels Graduate, PhD
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How to Make Almost Anything
Professor:Neil Gershenfeld Course: How to Make Almost Anything Course Website click here. This course provided a hands-on introduction to the resources for designing and fabricating smart systems, including CAD/CAM/CAE; NC machining, 3-D printing, injection molding, laser cutting; PCB layout and fabrication; sensors and actuators; analog instrumentation; embedded digital processing; wired and wireless communications. It also put emphasis on learning how to use the tools as well as understand how they work. MIT | Fall 2017 | Individual Physical Computing Design Tools Graduate, PhD MetaVoxels Graduate, PhD
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Y Chair
Professor: Volkan Alkanoglu Course: Hybrid Formations – Interdisciplinary Design Team Members: Amira Abdel-Rahman and Gabriel Muñoz Moreno The challenge of the seminar is to design and fabricate a structure that is light, paper-thin but still maintains its structural integrity. The objective was to get inspired by techniques of the aviation and automobile industry to the fabrication of these prototypes. Optimizing the structural performance of the chair was the driving force behind the design. A parametric model of the chair was developed and tested under different load case scenarios and then the design was optimized for ease and automation of fabrication. Manufactured out of extremely lightweight, aluminum panels, the Y-chair is CNC/water-jet cut and the the robotic arm was used to form the aluminum sheets. A custom end tool for the robot was fabricated using english wheel rollers to form the sheets using custom CNC milled wood forms. Harvard GSD | Fall 2017 | Group of 2 Physical Computing Design Tools Graduate, PhD MetaVoxels Graduate, PhD
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Anatomy of a joint
Professor: Andrew Witt Course: Structural Surfaces Contrary to how traditional joints have commonly been used for the construction of structural surfaces and spatial structures, this project’s goal was the research of a system to manufacture a set of standardized joints, with the use of multi-material 3d-printing, casting, and other fabrication methods. By using finite element analysis to program different behaviors, we were capable of simulating and program different behaviors inherent to each of the joints in our catalogue — with the purpose of mimicking the way mechanical joints would be have to allow or restrict for rotation and displacement. Some of the joints, for instance, behave as a ball joint (allowing for rotation in the x, y, and z axes) while others behave as a mechanical hinge (allowing only for one-axis rotation). Over the development of the project, we tried two different approaches to modify the behavior of different joints. 1- f ( Volume, Joints ) = Behavior 2- f ( Volume, Behavior) = Joints In the first approach, we used joints of similar geometry with different material distribution. (This is, different concentrations of flexible and rigid material, to have some areas that allow for deflection, while others […]
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Allometric Sake
Professor: Salmaan Craig Course: The Thermal Allometry of Massive, Breathing Buildings Awarded Third Place in DenCity 2016. DenCity competition by Shelter Global aims to improve the living conditions in the slums and informal settlements. Core Interest The relentless growth of cities urges for solutions that relate to the improvement of levels of comfort in confined spaces. Slums, being directly affected by the lack of space, are an intriguing object of study. With constraints on cost and feasibility, we believe the population will greatly benefit from a passively powered space-conditioning system. How? Software “Sake”s We have developed software that provides strategies that most affect natural ventilation by changing the following parameters: A* (Openings): The value refers to the amount, geometry and distribution of openings that a building has to the exterior and interior network. These openings usually are windows, doors, chimneys, etc. The variation of this value will help to define the amount of fresh air coming into the building. H (Height): This parameter refers to the height of a building. Hot air is driven to the upper part of a building due to its decrease in density, and vice versa when cold. This phenomenon creates differences in pressure, generating the opportunity […]
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AUX
Professor: Panagiotis Michalatos Course: Digital Structures and Material Distribution The project concept is to design structural mechanisms formed by both of parts of the human body and the auxiliary elements. There are three stages in the project form finding, followed by a rationalization phase then the optimization for tectonic and a-tectonic prototypes. The first stage is the form finding where a topology optimization of the structure to find the base form. Second phase is the rationalization where the center of the forms is chosen to get the form skeleton. Lastly the optimization is done to find the principle stress directions to start responding to the stress analysis. The prototypes were fabricated using copper wires that are bent along the main principle stresses. Harvard GSD | Spring 2016 | Group of 3 Physical Computing Design Tools Graduate, PhD MetaVoxels Graduate, PhD
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