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DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M3 JOURNAL - Sleeping Pod

Cassandra Tom & Faye (Xufei) Ye 767899 & 757598

James + Group 5

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Introduction

Issues:1. Self SupportivenessWe need to determine what type of gad-get would allow the sleeping pod to sit on a chair, table or on the user stable wise.2. Material ChoicesOther than MDF, choices vary from ply-wood, Perspex, cardboard, polypropylene etc. Strings also have many choices in terms of its thickness. 3. The pivoting pointOther than wire spiral, could there be a cleaner finish using rings, clips or tubes. 4. TensionHow can the strings remain in tension after its been opened is a definite issue, gravity -perhaps may be the solution.5. Shape of the panelsA smoother edge rather than sharp edges to give it a better finish on the overall look.

Our M2 journal focused on creating a volumetric sleeping pod that would cover most part of the body through series of folding panels with string infills. The ef-fects of the strings were very much praised, however, there are still many issues to be improved on.The concept of the sleeping pod being self-supportive and the folding & compressing would remain the same and further developed for M3. Gravity Gravity

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Design development

In relation with the issues raised in M2, we targeted each one specifically and im-proved on them.

Firstly Shape of the panels, we changed from polygons into ellipse shapes, with a smoother finish. We also eliminated the smallest panel and expanded the width of the inner panels to provide and larger personal space inside the sleeping pod. It addresses the volumetric nature of the body, enveloping around and beyond the body.

Secondly, Self Supportiveness was one of the major issues, where we targeted a specific kind of chair to al-low it to sit in a stable position, as maintain its stability and suitable for all kinds of chair is difficult to achieve. Also preventing the whole sleeping pod from completely dragged to the front, we designed hooks along with elastic to pull back the gravitational force.

The gradient effect in strings remains the same, although to further enhance this effect, we added third layer of stings in the panels within user’s front sight.

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Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing/ Branko Kolarevic, Spon Press, London c2003

Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. Explain how you use digital fabrication in your design?

Reading Response Wk 6

There are four different kinds of digital fabrication processes:

1. Two dimensional fabricationMost commonly used fabrication technique that involves 3 types of technology, which are plasma-arc, laser-beam and water-jet. Laser cutter uses infrared light that are high-ly intensified with pressurized gas to melt or burn the material.

2. Subtractive fabricationThis process is whether specified volume of material is removed using electro-, chemi-cally- or mechanically-reductive processes from a solid.

3. Additive FabricationThis is the process of converse of milling where layers are added in by incremental, this method is also referred as layered manufacturing. For example, in selective laser sinter-ing, laser beams create solid objects by melting layers of metal powder.

4. Formative FabricationThis is the process of applying heat or steam to a material, deforming or reshaping it into desired shape. For example, using metal at its softened state, bending it to stress past its elastic limit. (Kolarevic, 2003)

For our design, we are using two dimensional fabrication, specifically, laser cutting to create the panels of our design.

Laser cutting(Kolarevic, 2003)

CNC Milling(Kolarevic, 2003)

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Reading applied to design

How does the fabrication process and strategy effect your sleeping pod project?

The fabrication process and strategy would have a definite positive influ-ence on our project. As laser cutting out panels would be much faster than manually doing it, especially with the holes left for stringing, it would be very time consuming to create those holes one by one, especially making sure they are in the exact measurement.

Fabrication processes are efficient in time and precise for small details. We have experimented with using la-ser cutting in M2, which turned to pro-duce the effect we hoped for, thus we would continue to use this meth-od to create our final design.

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Digital Fabrications: architectural + material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architectural Press c2009

Describe one aspect of the recent shift in the use of digital technology from design to fabrication?

Reading Response Wk 7

Through the expansion and development of digital media and technologies, many designs who may seem ‘impossible’ are now formally, spatially and materially possible. Through using CAD, it replaces using pencil and rulers to draw out complicated plans. Computerized 3D programs help to see the final effect before producing prototypes in the making process.

However, like traditional drawing and modeling techniques, there are still restraints in fabrication process. There are limitation in material, sizes and extent objects/models to be produced.

Michael Speaks termed ‘design intelligence’ as “Making becomes knowledge or in-telligence creation, In this way thinking and doing, design and fabrication, and pro-totype and final design become blurred, interactive and part of a non-linear means of innovation”. Digital technology is helping the making process to be more effective and efficient. (Iwamoto, 1969)

Full scaole mock up testing acrylic compression status

(Iwamoto, 1969)

Water jet cutting

(Iwamoto, 1969)

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Reading applied to design

Referencing from the lectures and readings, what is the implication of digital fabrication on your design ?

Digital fabrication was a key contributor in speeding our model making process. However, there were many challenges and restrictions that oc-curred during this process. The material size restriction was one of the biggest challenges that arose when we decided to use laser cut to fabri-cate the panels. We realized the largest MDF was 600x900 which is small-er than every panel we had. Thus this forces us to break each panel into puzzle pieces and join them after they are fabricated.

The interlocking part we decided to apply the puzzle like form, we thought about using glue to glue them together. However, it might not be strong enough. Therefore we thought about sewing them, creating smaller holes around it and putting string through. Another method was to have two smaller MDF boards above and below the connection point, reinforcing the weaker parts.

The challenge of the visual is also crucial, as the puzzle point would be evident from looking at it, thus we need to figure out a way to cover these flaws to make it look like one piece instead of broken pieces.

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Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2

After fabricating the largest two panels, and gluing them together using PVA glue, the initial connection spot was very weak, however, overtime as the glue sets, it became much stronger. We also developed tempo-rary clips to hold them while the glue sets. The largest panel being a thin-ner strip was very weak compared to the other, it broke off easily, which we would need to expand the width of it to ensure it’s stable.

The sleeping pod would cover below the knees when the user sits on the chair. The areas where the user’s eyesight lands has the most coverage (most strings) to create privacy and isolation.

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Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2 PLAN ISOMETRIC

ELEVATION

FRONT

BACK

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Prototype development

Experimentation of rings in different sizes was conducted, where we used rings with 12mm diameter. However, it was small in com-parison with the whole sleeping pod. It was also weak when we started folding the sleeping pod, slowly cracking apart.

Later, shifting to split rings with 17mm which had a nicer finish. Though the limitation was the we had to break each one into sin-gular pieces to enable it to fit. It was strong enough to stay locked,

Although we wanted to have the rings black, there weren’t any of the same color and spray painting did not work out as paint peeled off when we tried to put them on.

We have tested various types of pivoting elements. The initial thought was a spiral which has a rough finish.

We shifted into having tubes, however, it was difficult to have a smooth folding system using tubes as the pivot.

We finally settled on using rings for pivot-ing point, which allows for flexible move-ment when folded.

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Limitation in finding strings with the right color, materiality and thickness. There were many that we bought either couldn’t fit or did not have the color we desired.

In the end, we chosen yarn as it is the best option out of all that we had tried.

Experimentation with different strings to test out the gra-dient effect in the panels.

Ribbons were stable, however, the width is over 3 mm, leading to it to twist. This also happened to the flat elas-tic, the twisting motion makes it look less unified and unorganized. Elastic’s nature would also pull back the folding panels. The other type of string was too loose and did not had the stance we wanted, the Tension almost didn’t exist.

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Prototype optimisation

We thought about spray painting over all the panels. However, MDF is likely to absorb in the paint, result-ing in a smudged effect. This forces us to have to go through a long process of sanding, priming, then painting over the panels.

Black paint was used as we wanted to create a uni-fied look in our sleeping pod. The effect is helpful in coverage of the small flaws.

The original color of the MDF is yellow tone with brown burn marks around the areas being laser cut. Although the color has this natural organic sense to it, the puzzle joints of the two areas and burn marks are way too visible. Thus we needed to cover it over with paint to hide these flaws.

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Prior to that, we had glued the puzzle pieces of panels, hooks & vertical holder together with PVA glue and let it sit overnight. Sanding the glued areas further enhances the smooth finish. Joints are still visible when examined very closely. The drying of one side takes 2 hours+, thus it took over 5 hours to finish both sides of the panels.

The sanding and painting process was re-peated for touch ups in imperfect areas.

To avoid the time consuming process in priming the panels, we used a self-primed acrylic paint to roll over the surfaces of the panels. Using a roller creates an even coat of paint on each layer, which creates a smooth finish.

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Prototype optimisation

Self Supportive components are fabricated and tested on the chair selected. We realized the weakness in the interlocking panel we fabri-cated; it did not extend long enough to meet with the other panels, leaving the part cantilevered to be vulnerable.

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This angle shows the underneath of the intersecting point of the vertical holders and interlocking panel. Ver-tical holders lock the panel against the back of the chair.

These vertical holders prevent the sleeping pod from imbalance and falling to one side. It also makes sure the interlocking panel are locked stably onto the chair.

Hook designed specifically for the legs of the chairs, combination with the elastic, prevents the sleeping pod from falling backwards due to the weight when its in resting posi-tion.

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Prototype optimisation

As we have fabricated all the elements for constructing our sleeping pod, where fanning out the 9 panels has made us realize the limitation in the extent of support the pivoting area can reach. The sleeping pod was very unstable, almost fragile when it’s unfolded. The smallest panel was under great tension and close to buckling. Thus reducing panels was the most efficient method in making the sleeping pod workable.

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In relation to strengthening the panels, especially in the puzzle joint areas, we creat-ed reinforcement strips that attaches along the inner edges of panels. Closely against the unstable areas which reduces the chance of them cracking and falling apart. The strip is 9mm in height, slowly decreasing to 5mm at the end. There were concerns of strips affecting the unfolding process, but attaching them in the interior resolves this issue.

The process in attaching these strips required a sufficient time and energy, as they had to be pushed and held against the inner curves for a period in order for the glue to set. Strips under tension makes in harder to attach so closely in desired curvature. Moreover, the panels became stiffer and less fragile after they are attached.

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Sleeping Pod final design

PLAN

ISOMETRICFRONT

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SIDE ELEVATION BACK

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Fabrication Sequence

Step.1 Laser cut the required pieces. Step. 2 Glue the puzzle pieces to-gether after separating them from the board.

Step. 3 Let the glue dry and use tem-porary clips to stabilize them.

Step. 4 Test on the fitting on the chair.

Step. 5 Sand the glued areas. Step. 6 Paint over the panels using roller.

Step. 7 Paint over the secondary ele-ments.

Step. 8 Break the split rings into singu-lar pieces.

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Step. 9 Tie strings to stretch out to sleeping pod.

Step. 10 Sew strings through all the holes in each panel

Step. 11 Lock rings into pivoting holes. Step. 12 Glue the seat interlocking element with the smallest panel and attaching the elastic on the hook with itself.

Step. 13 Stabilize panels using vertical holders while the glue sets.

Step. 14 Testing the sleeping pod onto the chair to make sure it can be stable.

Step. 15 Pull and tighten strings, and snipping off the excess.

Step. 16 Set up the sleeping pod onto the chair.

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Assembly Drawing

StringsMaterial: Yarn

PanelsMaterial: MDF 3.0mm

Reinforcment stripsMaterial: MDF 3.0mm

Chair Interlocking ElementsMaterial: MDF 3.0mmConnection String

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Material: Elastic12.0mm

HookMaterial: MDF3.0mm2x 3mm

Interlocking chair panelMaterial: MDF3.0mm6 x 3mm

Vertical HolderMaterial: MDF3.0mm4 x 3mm

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SLEPPING POD

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Motion of unfolding

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Appendix

Architecture in the Digital Age - Design and Manufacturing /Branko Kolarevic. Spon Press, London, c2003

Digital fabrications: architectural and material techniques / Lisa Iwamoto. New York : Princeton Architectural Press, c2009.

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