See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/292782711

Soft Robotics and Emergent Materials in Architecture

Conference Paper · September 2015

DOI: 10.52842/conf.ecaade.2015.2.409

CITATIONS READS

18 1,873

1 author:

Martina Decker
New Jersey Institute of Technology
15 PUBLICATIONS 194 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Martina Decker on 02 February 2016.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Soft Robotics and Emergent Materials in Architecture
Martina Decker1
1
New Jersey Institute of Technology, School of Architecture
1
decker@njit.edu

This paper investigates the potential of soft robotics that are enabled by emergent
materials in architecture. Distributed, adaptive soft robotics holds the promise to
address many issues in architectural environments such as energy efficiency as
well as user comfort and safety.Two examples out of a series of experiments
conducted in the Material Dynamics Lab at the New Jersey Institute of
Technology are being introduced and serve as a vehicle to explore distributed soft
robotics in architectural environments. The design process and project
development methods of the soft robotic systems integrated the fabrication of
working proof of concept prototypes as well as their testing.

Keywords: Soft robotics, Nanotechnology, Smart materials, Flexible electronics,

Adaptive environments

INTRODUCTION - ROBOTICS IN ARCHITEC- processes that include robotics in the design phase
TURE as well as the creation of architectural elements,
Robots, that have the ability to perform a multitude scholars have also been looking at performative, dis-
of unique tasks, have enjoyed great attention in art tributed robotics in the constructed environment.
and design communities in recent decades (Figure Early examples of kinetic, responsive and interactive
1). In architecture in particular they have been cel- architectural interventions such as hyposurface [3]
ebrated for their advanced fabrication capabilities have initiated a conversation that is contributing to
and they are widely regarded as the ultimate flex- this important research area. Furthermore the rise of
ible manufacturing tool. KUKA (Keller und Knap- a new prototyping environment that is enabled by
pich Augsburg) robotics were used in car manufac- Arduino microcontrollers has accelerated the study
turing when they established Europe's first welding of robotics in architecture greatly.
transfer line, built for Daimler-Benz in the early sev- The seamless integration of robotic systems into
enties [4]. Now a technology transfer from indus- our buildings holds the promise to improve active
tries such as the automotive industry is being stud- and reactive environments that will assist with en-
ied to revolutionize architectural construction pro- ergy efficiency of our buildings and improve user
cesses. Solutions for Building construction and main- comfort drastically. Distributed adaptive robotic sys-
tenance are being contemplated from the robotics tems in architecture can support an environment
standpoint, especially in architecture schools and in- that can continually negotiate conditions with the
novative offices like Snøhetta (Paoletti at al., 2013; users and their surroundings with a very high spa-
Bach et al.,1995; Pigram et al., 2011). tial resolution. The benefits of such a system lie in
But besides the newly developed architectural the fact that the robotics could perform without the

Material Studies - Volume 2 - eCAADe 33 | 409

 Figure 1
Photos of the
three-minute
performance
entitled "Huang Yi &
KUKA" at
Tabakfabrik. Credit:
Florian Voggeneder

intervention of a programmer or a specialist to me- tectural context special attention has to be given to
diate between all the individual constituencies. The this topic. One of the approaches to a more risk free
robotic system will autonomously adapt without re- human robot interaction can be found through the
lying on preconceived notions of occupant desires or careful selection of materials - in particular materials
energy efficiency. that reflect the soft nature of our own bodies.
The design for an Adaptive Solar Envelope (ASE) The subfield of soft robotics represents a pen-
is such an example that was developed at the Depart- chant for a material centric approach in robotics.
ment of Architecture at the ETH Zu�rich and it is look- Common robotic systems comprise of hard, stiff and
ing at buildings as dynamic systems that are able to rigid components that cannot change their shape or
adapt to changing conditions while taking user satis- physical properties at the material level. Soft robotics
faction into account (Rossi et al., 2012). This research on the other hand are making use of progress that
integrates aspects from robotics, machine learning, has been generated in material sciences and many
ubiquitous computing, and sustainability in architec- other disciplines for the creation of a new generation
ture to optimize on site energy production through of robotics. Aside from the potential of soft robotics
a careful positioning of photovoltaic elements. Fur- benefitting a secure human robot interaction, soft
thermore it explores the potential to assist conven- and compliant material systems can benefit architec-
tional HVAC (heating ventilation and air condition- ture by utilizing their unique properties to control for
ing) systems and electric lighting in buildings for en- instance the thermal or acoustic environment.
ergy conservation. The project takes into account the The application of unconventional material sys-
user's desire and comfort at the same time. tems lies at the heart of the nascent stages of the very
young field (Iida et al., 2011). Nanotechnology, which
DISTRIBUTED SOFT ROBOTICS AND EMER- has accelerated the development of new materials
with novel properties, is a key driver in the continuing
GENT MATERIALS
evolution of soft robotic elements. Sensors as well as
Concerns of safety have always been a priority when
actuators have to be non-rigid, soft, flexible, elastic,
it comes to robots operating in the close vicinity of
compliant, deformable, or reconfigurable.
humans. The caged industrial robotic work cells of-
Smart materials (Addington et al., 2005) that
ten ensure the wellbeing of workers through spatial
have the ability to respond to an external stimulus
separation, while a continued improvement of the in-
with a material response are a class of materials that
teraction protocols paired with ample sensory infor-
will be instrumental in the creation of soft robotics
mation is making a close encounter between robots
due to their unique material behaviors. They can be
and humans continuously safer (Albu-Schäffer et al.,
for example polymorphic, luminescent, or chromic in
2008). By integrating a robotic system in the archi-
response to electric currents, chemical inputs, pho-

410 | eCAADe 33 - Material Studies - Volume 2

Figure 2
Thermochromic
Leuco Dye at 38°C,
32°C, 20°C, 31°C,
30°C, and 35°C | the
pigments transition
to a clear state at tons of light, or temperature changes. The material properties do not allow us to think of robots as a se-
warm temperatures responses can vary from a change in shape or vol- ries of rigid links with rotational or sliding joints any-
and appear white ume, the emission of light, the production of an elec- more that can be easily described in the language of
due to a polymeric tric current or a change in color. These materials are classic mechanics. Hence experimentation and pro-
encapsulation | sensors and actuators at the same time and can often totyping is and essential tool for the development of
Credit: MDL display their astonishing behaviors without the re- soft robotic systems since the elastic materials used,
liance on conventional energy production, since they can be highly unintuitive and resist conventional sim-
can take advantage of ambient energies in their envi- ulation tools (Rossi et al.,2014).
ronment. Thermochromic substances can react to a
change in ambient temperature with a color change. SOFT ROBOTIC DESIGN PROCESS AND
Leuco dyes (Figure 2) for instance can be engineered
TESTING
at the materials level to display a color such as red
In a studio conducted at the Material Dynamics Lab
or blue for instance at cold temperature and appear
at the New Jersey Institute of Technology the poten-
clear in cold conditions. These pigments that are usu-
tial of soft robotic systems for architectural applica-
ally encapsulated in a polymeric shell can be easily
tions was explored in the spring of 2015. A design
integrated in a material composite and support the
process that integrated prototyping and testing sup-
operations of the soft robotic systems. The performa-
ported the development efforts.
tive characteristics of smart materials behold a great
One of the resulting designs featured a soft
potential to compliment robotic systems, by infusing
robotic system that strives to manipulate sound
the robotic performance with the material's behavior.
propagation in indoor environments (Figure 3). This
The nature of the soft and compliant material

Figure 3
Soft Acoustic Tile |
Credit: MDL, Ryan
Berg, Paulo
Guerreiro, and Jesus
Vasquez

Figure 4
Soft acoustic tile
fabrication steps |
Credit: MDL, Berg,
Guerreiro, and
Vasquez

Material Studies - Volume 2 - eCAADe 33 | 411

 Figure 5
Soft Acoustic Tile |
Arduino Set Up |
Credit: MDL, Berg,
Guerreiro, and
Vasquez

pneumatic, silicone based soft robotic acoustic tile components can be controlled through variations in
uses air not only as the actuating mechanism but also the thickness of the silicone components or the use
as the material that changes the acoustic properties of different types of silicone (Ecoflex® 00-30, Ecoflex®
of the system. The prototyping efforts were aided by 00-10, Dragon Skin® 30) that have varying degrees of
the soft robotic toolkit [2] that was developed from elasticity. This controls the overall deformation of the
research conducted at Harvard University and Trinity actuator.
College Dublin for hands-on design courses (Figure The individual actuators change their shape and
4). volume from entirely flat to slightly convex with a
The pneumatic actuators that the acoustic tiles surface morphology that displays a multitude of pro-
are comprised of in this project are made of silicone truding air pockets. This particular shape change al-
(Ecoflex® 00-50). The actuators are cast in two parts lows the system to influence the absorption, diffu-
and later adhered to each other. The main part is sion and reflection of sound. A hand air pump was
cast including voids for air chambers that will expand used for the inflation of the system during the ini-
in the assembly once the pneumatic system is ac- tial actuator testing, while at a later stage the activa-
tivated (Figure 4). The expansion of the individual tion of the design was accomplished through several

Figure 6
Soft Acoustic Tile |
Test Environment:
Deactivated and
Activated System |
Credit: MDL, Ryan
Berg, Paulo
Guerreiro, and Jesus
Vasquez

412 | eCAADe 33 - Material Studies - Volume 2

Figure 7
Soft Acoustic Tile |
Spectrogram Red:
Deactivated
System, Blue:
Activated System |
Credit: MDL, Ryan
Berg, Paulo
Guerreiro, and Jesus
Vasquez

Figure 8
Soft Frit | Credit:
MDL, Jorge Cruz,
Lauren McLellan,
Anthony Morello,
and Anthony
Samaha

electric pumps controlled by an Arduino microcon- ments (Figure 8) that are envisioned on building fa-
troller setup (Figure 5). cades strive to control solar heat gain through build-
While the small proof of concept prototype ing skins. They expand to block sunlight when the in-
and test environment (Figure 6) successfully demon- terior environment is getting too warm or contract to
strated that the sound propagation was manipu- allow the sun to penetrate through the glass façade
lated (Figure 7), further research would have to be when the interior room temperatures drop (Figure 9).
conducted to fully explore the potential of the soft The intervention is configured to assist HVAC systems
robotic system to influence its environment in real in buildings to reduce the overall energy consump-
time. tion that would otherwise be expended to maintain
Another experiment that was conducted at the interior conditions with mechanical means.
Material Dynamics Lab resulted in the design for a Furthermore the actuator design featured a ma-
soft frit that was inspired by Hoberman's adaptive terial composite that integrates a photoluminescent
fritting projects [1]. The pneumatic soft robotic ele- material (Figure 10) into the silicone mixture. The

Figure 9
Soft Frit Testing |
Credit: MDL, Jorge
Cruz, Lauren
McLellan, Anthony
Morello, and
Anthony Samaha

Material Studies - Volume 2 - eCAADe 33 | 413

 Figure 10
Repeated
Photoluminescent
Performance of
Phosphorescent
Zinc Sulphide |
Credit: MDL

robotic system can absorb sunlight during the day the envisioned architectural application. The pneu-
and emit photons of light during the nighttime matic actuators can be controlled individually to in-
hours. The use of this smart material can compliment flate or deflate. Furthermore the integration of leuco
electric lighting systems. dyes (such as seen in Figure 2) can change the mem-
In the final design the soft robotic system is envi- branes color to either absorb the energy of the sun or
sioned to comprise of a multitude of distributed, indi- to reflect it back into the environment. This change
vidually activated elements that can operate without of the material's albedo solely depends on ambient
the reliance of conventional energy production. Each temperatures.
element features a small solar cell that will operate a
low power micro blower, which can inflate or deflate CONCLUSION
the individual element. The projects conducted at the Material Dynamics Lab
A third project developed in the studio is called explored the potential of soft robotics in architecture
Soft Barrier (Figure 11). With a series of soft actuators through the lens of emergent materials. The final
the robotic system can manipulate thermal transfer distributed robotic designs demonstrated the poten-
through a soft and compliant skin. Air pockets in the tial to address many problems such as energy con-
design can modulate the thermal transfer through servation or noise reduction in the constructed envi-
Figure 11
Soft Barrier by Dan
Beltran, Michelle
Ghanime, Salma
Mahmood

414 | eCAADe 33 - Material Studies - Volume 2

 ronment. The fabrication of proof of concept proto- Furthermore the studies showed that the soft na-
types was an essential part in the design process and ture of the various designs allows for installations of
greatly influenced the final projects. Soft, compliant distributed robotics in architectural settings in close
and stretchable materials are challenging to plan for, proximity to occupants. Soft to the touch and mal-
since their performance does not always allow for in- leable, the material enabled designs do not compro-
tuitive decision-making and resists conventional sim- mise safety (Figure 11).
ulation software. The durability and robustness of the materials
over time yet has to be explored in real world archi-
Figure 12
tectural environments. To further the development
Soft Barrier by Dan
of soft robotics in architecture truly interdisciplinary
Beltran, Michelle
partnerships that include architects, designers and
Ghanime, Salma
representatives from the STEM (Science, Technology,
Mahmood
Engineering and Mathematics) fields will be essen-
tial. The conducted studio aspired to initiate impor-
tant discussions on the topic and strived to enable a
new generation of architects to be prepared for such
collaborations.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my colleague Andrzej Zarzycki
for his support. I would also like to thank the fol-
lowing students for their dedication in the prototyp-
ing and testing efforts: Chris Bartel, Dan Beltran Bel-
tran, Ryan Berg, Jorge Cruz, Michelle Ghanime, Paulo
Guerreiro, Na'Shawn Jordan, Jay Lin, Salma Mah-
mood, Lauren McLellan, Lisa Merz, Anthony Morrello,
Anthony Samaha, Kwadjo Sasu, and Jesus Vasquez.

REFERENCES
Addington, M and Schodek, D 2005, Smart Materials and
Technologies for the Architecture and Design Profes-
sions, Architectural Press, Amsterdam, Boston
Bach, F, Rachkov, M, Seevers, J and Hahn, M 1995, 'High
tractive power wall-climbing robot', Automation In
Construction, 4, pp. 213-224
Iida, F and Laschi, C 2011, 'Soft Robotics: Challenges and
Perspectives', Procedia Computer Science, 7, pp. 99-
102
Paoletti, I and Naboni, RS 2013, Robotics In The Construc-
tion Industry: Mass Customization Or Digital Craft-
ing?, Springer New York LLC, New York
Pigram, D and McGee, W 2011 'Formation embedded de-
sign: A methodology for the integration of fabrica-
tion constraints into architectural design', Proceed-
ings of ACADIA 2011

Material Studies - Volume 2 - eCAADe 33 | 415

 Rossi, D, Nagy, Z and Schlueter, A 2012, 'Adaptive dis-
tributed robotics for environmental performance,
occupant comfort and architectural expression', In-
ternational Journal Of Architectural Computing, 10,
pp. 341-360
Rossi, D, Nagy, Z and Schlueter, A 2014, 'Soft Robotics
for Architects: Integrating Soft Robotics Education
in an Architectural Context', Soft Robotics, 1(2), pp.
147-153
Albu Schäffer, A, Eiberger, O, Grebenstein, M, Haddadin,
S, Ott, C, Wimbock, T, Wolf, S and Hirzinger, G
2008, 'Soft Robotics', Robotics & Automation Maga-
zine, 15(3), pp. 20-30
[1] http://www.hoberman.com
[2] http://softroboticstoolkit.com
[3] http://www.hyposurface.org
[4] http://www.kuka-ag.de/de/

416 | eCAADe 33 - Material Studies - Volume 2

View publication stats