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111
Andrew Saunders Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
RoboFold Ltd.
Gottfried Semper, the nineteenth-century German architect and historian, asserts that
textiles are the origins of buildings. In “Style in the Technical and Tectonic Arts,” he
methodically traces the influences of the creation and manipulations of textiles on tech-
niques for fabricating more rigid material tectonics of metal and stone. As a contem-
porary projection of this framework, Robotic Lattice Smock (RLS) transposes the affects
of pliable material tectonics of lattice smocking to folding and bending of planar sheet
metal through computational simulation and robotic fabrication processes.
Due to its practical performance for making textiles form fitting and flexible as well as its
aesthetic, smocking developed as a common embroidering technique used through his-
tory in a range of garments from royalty to laborers. Lattice smocking distributes stitch pat-
terns across a flat grid at specific gathering points. The simple gathering patterns produce
rich relief and complex undulating motifs while shaping and flexing strategic territories of a
garment including cuffs, bodices and necklines. As an architectural skin, the grid translates
easily to a diagrid framework able to morphologically accommodate countless forms and
applications. The RLS process is applicable to any lattice-smocking pattern. For the initial
phase of RLS, an arrow pattern was chosen for its directionality and deep relief.
ROBOTIC LATTICE SMOCK
112RESEARCH PROJECTS ACADIA 2014 DESIGN AGENCY
LATTICE SMOCKING
The act of transposition involves transferring information from one
medium to another. The process involves an integral feedback
loop from the physical to digital and back again. As the material
manipulation techniques transfer from one material to another, each
material asserts distinct physical and geometric characteristics on
the process. The process begins with smocking felt. Felt is chosen
for its relative rigidity so that distinct fold lines and creases emerge
when the fabric is smocked. Once these lines are traced on the felt
in its gathered state, the stitches are released and the felt returns to
a flat sheet, revealing new curved fold patterns on the original grid.
RESULTING CREASE LINES AND CONIC CURVATURE
The new flat patterns are used to cut heavy weight paper templates.
The paper is then refolded to form a more rigid version of the arrow
smock through developable surfaces. Points in the surface with
the most intense gathering are removed to release surface tension,
enabling the new material to fully reform the original position of the
smock. An additional set of surface ruling lines are identified and
traced on the physical paper models. These models are unfolded and
the locations of ruling lines on the flat pattern are used to construct a
precise computational simulation of the folding process.
Front Felt Arrow Smock
Front Gathered Stitch Pattern
Back Felt Arrow Smock
Back Gathered Stitch Pattern
113
Paper Nesting Mock-up
ROBOTIC LATTICE SMOCKSAUNDERS, ROBOFOLD LTD.
FLAT CUT DETAIL FOR ALUMINUM BASE MODULE
To accurately model and simulate the transition from flat planer mate-
rial to final folded form in the digital environment, the Live Physic
engine Kangaroo (Grasshopper plug-in developed by Daniel Piker) is
used. The fold and ruling lines traced from the physical models are
used to construct a network of springs and hinge forces. The interac-
tive simulation replicates the folding process, exactly preventing dis-
tortion that is associated with unconstrained digital transformations
and deformations in typical digital modeling environments.
Crease Line Folds Flat Stitch Pattern w/ Developable Curvature
Flat Module w/ Conic Curvature Paper Mock-up
PHYSICAL COMPUTATION–KANGAROO FOLDING SIMULATION (USED TO DRIVE ROBOTIC ARM PATH)
The final phase of transposing smocking techniques to sheet
metal deploys robotic fabrication. The robotic automation enables
efficient mass customization of self-similar panels in addition to
providing brute force to counter the embodied energy of folding
metal. The Kangaroo digital simulation is used to choreograph
the exact movement of multiple robotic arms to achieve the fold.
Once the folding process is simulated with robotic arm placement
with Godzilla (Grasshopper plug-in developed by Gregory Epps), the
final flat pattern for the arrow smock is modified and resized for
positioning of robotic grippers.
114RESEARCH PROJECTS ACADIA 2014 DESIGN AGENCY
Removal of Material to Relieve Tension
Robotic Gripper Spacing
Dbl. Score Line for Folding < 90°
Aligning Sole Plate Attachment Points
Edge Condition Module Extensions
Module Nesting
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSAndrew Saunders in collaboration with RoboFold Ltd.
PENN DESIGN/Sponsored by the Rensselaer 2013 The Robert S. Brown ë52 Fellows Program
Design Team: Sahar Mihandoust, Guo Huanyu, Jessica Collier, Elizabeth Sammartino, Matthew Vogel
RoboFold Team: Gregory Epps, Ema Epps, Florent Michel, Jeg Dudley
IMAGE CREDITSAll image credits to Andrew Saunders & RoboFold (2014).
ANDREW SAUNDERS is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. He re-ceived his Masters in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He has significant professional experience as project de-signer for Eisenman Architects, Leeser Architecture and Preston Scott Cohen, Inc. He has taught and guest lectured at a variety of institu-tions, including Cooper Union and the Cranbrook Academy of Art.
In 2004 he was awarded the SOM Research and Traveling Fellowship for Masters of Architecture to pursue his research on the relationship of equation-based geometries to early 20th century pioneers in rein-forced concrete. His current practice and research interests lie in com-putational geometry as it relates to emerging technology, fabrication and performance. He is currently working on a book using parametric modeling as an analysis tool of 17th century Italian Baroque architec-ture. Most recently Andrew won the ACADIA international fabrication competition for the production of the Luminescent Limacon. The de-sign for this lighting fixture was inspired by Flemish baroque portraits of the Dutch ruff and builds on computational and material research from his seminar Equation-based Morphologies.
20 30
Spring Network with Rulings Transfered from Paper Model (Spring Length Equal to Line Length for Zero Material Distortion while Folding)