LookingOutwards-03 – Page 5 – [OLD FALL 2019] 15-104 • Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice

Margot Gersing – Looking Outwards – 03

This week the project that I was really interested in was a collaboration between Olivier Van Herpt and Ricky Van Broekhoven Solid Vibration project (2005). I actually saw this a long time ago and it has stuck with me because I found it so interesting.

Video of the pots being printed.

Van Herpt began by using a 3D printer to make pottery but noticed that the sounds and vibrations from the machinery was creating moiré patterns. Van Herpt wanted to embrace this so he enlisted Broekhoven, a sound designer’s, help. These patterns were an error but they inspired the pair to make art from the sound waves.

They did this by printing the pot onto a surface that was sitting on a speaker. As the speaker moved with the vibrations, this translated into the clay.

Close up of moiré patterns from the vibrations

Olivier Van Herpt Site (source of images and video)

Note: I am unsure of what specific algorithms were used to print.

Xu Xu – Looking Outwards – 03

The project that I decided to choose is the ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2016-17: Interactive Panorama by Heiko Stachel. This research pavilion investigates building scale fabrication of glass and carbon-fibre reinforced composites. I was attracted to it due to its unique form, and I admire the beautiful cantilever structure that incorporates a sort of weaving pattern. Due to the fibre composites’ lightweight and long-span characteristics, the project was carried out using different methods: a combination of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAE), which has low payload but long-range, and industrial robots, which is precise, strong but has limited reach. According to the research institute, this design was inspired by “two species of leaf miner moths, the Lyonetia clerkella and the Leucoptera erythrinella, whose larvae spin silk “hammocks” stretching between connection points on a bent leaf”. Certain concepts were abstracted from the biological models such as the combination of bending structures, fibre orientations and hierarchy, and three-dimensional geometries to create the new, innovative form.

The algorithm methods weren’t listed in the research institute’s website, but I assume that the fabrication of this structure is similar to 3d printing, but on a much larger scale. The algorithm somehow transforms the digital model (perhaps done by Rhinoceros), and uses robots to print out the structure layer by layer.

Sarah Kang Looking-Outwards-03

Bjork wearing Rottlace, from media.mit.edu

Rottlace is a project fabricated by the Mediated Matter Group based at MIT. The series of masks is custom designed for the Icelandic singer-songwriter Bjork. From her newest album, Vulnicura, the Mediated Matter group drew inspiration from her messages of self-healing and portraying “the face without a skin”. The resulting product is a mask that encapsulates Bjork’s facial structure with a new layer of that represents a new identity.

Rottlace designed by the Mediated Matter Group, printed with Stratasys

The fiber tissues of the mask are computationally calculated with the curve directions of the point cloud data derived from Bjork’s facial scan. The bone-like locations are geometrically informed as another result from the data, but their material composition is graded from a spectrum of stiff to flexible, and from opaque to transparent-this information is derived as a function of geodesic distances given by the face scans.

What I admire about this work is how the project creates a collaboration between humanistic aspects and computational art. The world of generative, computational art opens many doors to encapsulating human elements and using digital technologies to convey it most accurately and elevate the information to new levels. The Mediated Matter Group combined both spectrums to fuse together a mask that encompasses this collaboration.

https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/rottlace/overview/

LookingOutwards-03 – Danny Cho – Wanderers

One of the things that I held against computational design was how artificial it looks when tries to describe the natural process. However, this project, “Wanderers”, executes the visualization of the organic movement and growth in a very high quality.

What I am now able to assume, because of what I have learned working on the dynamic drawing project, is that Neri Oxman might have used some kind of trigonometry. In my project, I used sine and cosine, and it resulted in motions that seem relatively organic compared to forcefully created movements. From this experience, I think the natural looking growth of these pieces would also include some trig functions.

I wonder if she used Cinema 4D or any other types of software, and what her inspirations were as she was sketching and ideating these initially.

This is the generation process for the “Wanderer” Project

Neri Oxman’s aesthetics of organic form and colors are displayed through the usage of colors as well as the slow, but steady pace of the video. Especially, the way she presents not just the final images, but the process of them being created also shows her interest as an artist.

Fanjie Jin– Looking Outwards – 03

elevation of the ZHA chair, from www.zhaarchitecture.com

Rhino Model of the chair for fabrication, from *www.zhaarchitecture.com*

This char is designed by Zaha Hadid, who is a world renowned Pulitzer Prizer English architect. This chair was fabricated using 3D printer as the geometry of the chair is rather complicated and therefore it is not really possible to be fabricated by hand. When she was designing this chair, she has used the grasshopper modeling tool which is a language that is on Rhino platform. The chair is designed completely by script and therefore if there is some parameter for example the density of the mesh on the back of the chair changed, she can choose to whether apply that change to the other places for the chair. This is a great example of how coding and design are integrated and formed a new sense of ideality.

Claire Lee – Looking Outwards – 03

Mushtari is a 3D-printed wearable piece that incorporates microorganisms into channels throughout the piece, creating microbial “factories” that use synthetic biology to create different effects (such as pigments, scents, or chemicals) using various microorganisms’ photosynthetic byproducts.

This piece is an fascinating example of computational digital fabrication, because it creates a synthetic piece by meshing organic elements and generative growth algorithms. Although the initial geometry and parameters were defined by a computational algorithm, the final product became much more complex: Mushtari grew from a single long 58-foot channel to a wearable piece that incorporated variations from relative strength of relaxation, attraction and repulsion between mesh vertices, and fluctuations in transparency to explore different degrees of photosynthesis.

Living Mushtari, directed by Neri Oxman and created by the Mediated Matter Group in collaboration with Stratasys, 2015.

Personally, I thought this piece was really interesting because it incorporated living elements into a computer-generated project, and then created a wearable piece that could be manipulated in various aspects.

Ammar Hassonjee – Looking Outwards 03

Computer Aided Knitting by MIT CSAIL

Pictures of various knit garments using computational techniques.

The CSAIL lab at MIT recently completed a new project that develops systems for streamlining the process of automating knit garments. One of the systems developed is called “InverseKnit” in which photographs of knitted patterns are analyzed using a program to create instructions for robots to fabricate clothing.

According to the CSAIL website, researchers first started by creating a dataset of knitting instructions/patterns and then programmed a network to interpret these images into rules that can be used to fabricate clothing items such as a sock.

Video showing how the machine operates.

What I admire about this project is its goal to revolutionize an age old process of knitting and apply algorithims in order to streamline this process we’ve been using for thouasands of years to make clothes. The real world application of this project is incredible as it can potentially reduce the manufacturing cost of clothes by so much. I think the algorithms used are image based processors that use the knitting image patterns as inputs and then analyze the geometry in the patterns. The original intent of the project was acheived as the creators sought to craft a simple and straightforward knitting machine that fabricates with accuracy, and they accomplished that.

Nadia Susanto – Looking Outwards – 03

Nervous System is a generative art studio and one of their most viral projects is their geode jigsaw puzzles. Each puzzle has a unique computer-generated shape and pattern, resulting in the many types of geode puzzles. While each geode turns out unique, the process of computer generation is similar as they code it so that the rock used will grow progressively inwards and fill the chamber. Colors, characteristics, and growth rates are random which results in the unique puzzles. Each of the computer generated images represents a portion of the algorithmic agate.

What I admire most about this project is that its beautiful in its art form, but since its a puzzle it requires logical problem-solving skills. Most puzzles have an outcome that is a rectangular picture, so it is easy to establish the corners and the outside borders. However in this case you would have to work from inside to out, not having any easy puzzle pieces to go off from.

This video from Nervous System gives a summary of their geode puzzles from how they made them to what ta unique puzzle looks like.

A wholistic picture of the puzzle. The final result of the puzzle is a beautiful piece of art, but so many intricate pieces are needed to make it.

A closer look into the laser-cutted individual pieces needed for the geode jigsaw puzzle.

Geode, Maze, and Custom Jigsaw Puzzles

For more information on this specific project, click the link above to go to their blog about their jigsaw puzzles.

Emma N-M LO-03

Piplines by David Leod (2015)

This parametric 3D fabrication project explores generative abstract forms. A digital dynamic stimulation was created to help inform what shapes to sculpt and what material should be used. I found this project to be inspirational because you can get lost in the forms created by the fluid movements. I also enjoyed how the artist used the digital stimulation and created sculptures to represent certain frames of the digital stimulation. There are algorithms used in the digital stimulation and with small tweaks to it, the stimulation can become drastically different. The algorithms were suppose to emulate objects in a turbulent situation. The creator’s artistic sensibilities manifest through interpreting the digital forms created and translating them into something physical (a sculpture). By using the final shapes to inform him on the texture treatment for the sculptures, each one is very different from the others, yet they come from the same place.

Mihika Bansal – Looking Outwards – 03

One piece of digital fabrication work that I find to be particularly interesting is the Arabesque Wall. This piece is particularly interesting due to the large variety of shapes and textures the artist is able to integrate into the piece. The different patterns that are made would be impossible to make by hand so it really demonstrates the true capabilities of machine and what they can do in terms of creating new and unique items.

The actual software is based on the tilting of the surfaces. The software works on this point until a structure that is composed of multiple surfaces and points comes about. The mathematical precision of this piece is also very interesting and something that could use more exploration.

The artists of this piece are Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer. The actual printing of the piece took 4 days.

Link to Project: http://benjamin-dillenburger.com/arabesque-wall/