Photo credit: www.sciencedaily.com
The process of creating prototypes for large structures equipped with integrated electronics, such as a chair designed to track sitting posture, is often cumbersome and generates significant waste.
Traditionally, multiple iterations of a chair must be crafted through techniques like 3D printing and laser cutting, leading to excessive material waste. Once a physical model is made, it undergoes the installation of sensors and electronics, followed by complex wiring to create a functional device. If the prototype doesn’t perform as intended, it might need to be discarded, necessitating a return to earlier design stages.
In response to these challenges, researchers at MIT have developed an innovative approach to the iterative design of robust interactive structures. They introduced a rapid development platform that utilizes reconfigurable building blocks embedded with electronics, allowing for the assembly of intricate and functional devices. In this methodology, the embedded electronics become integral to the structure itself.
These adaptable three-dimensional lattice components, referred to as voxels, are lightweight yet possess impressive strength and rigidity. They come equipped with capabilities for sensing, response, and processing, making it possible for individuals without a deep background in engineering to create interactive electronic devices swiftly.
Each voxel, which costs around 50 cents, can be reconfigured into virtually limitless forms, allowing for creativity and versatility in design.
The platform, named VIK (Voxel Invention Kit), features an intuitive design tool that facilitates end-to-end prototyping. This tool allows users to simulate the structural response to mechanical loads and refine designs accordingly.
“We aim to make functional interactive devices more accessible. With VIK, you won’t need any 3D printing or laser cutting. If you have the voxel components, you can construct these interactive structures anywhere,” explains Jack Forman, a graduate student in media arts and sciences at MIT and co-lead author of the associated research paper.
Forman collaborated with co-lead author Miana Smith, along with graduate student Amira Abdel-Rahman, and senior author Neil Gershenfeld, a professor at MIT and head of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA). Their findings will be presented at an upcoming Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Building Functional Blocks
The development of VIK builds on extensive research in the CBA regarding discrete, cellular building units known as voxels. One specific voxel type, an aluminum cuboctahedra lattice, is notably robust, capable of supporting weights up to 228 kilograms—the equivalent of an upright piano.
Unlike traditional methods that rely on 3D printing, milling, or laser cutting, voxels can be assembled into large, resilient structures that respond dynamically to their environments, such as components used in aircraft or wind turbines.
The CBA team combined their work on voxels with research focused on interconnected electrical systems, resulting in voxels that feature structural electronics. This integration enables the construction of structures that can transmit electrical signals and mechanical forces without the necessity for wires.
They successfully leveraged these electromechanical building blocks to create the VIK system.
“It was an intriguing challenge to adapt our previous projects, which focused on precise engineering metrics, into a user-friendly system that is engaging and straightforward for everyone to work with,” remarks Smith.
Improvements made for usability included enlarging the voxel design for easier handling and adding aluminum cross-bracing to enhance strength and stability.
The VIK voxels also feature a reversible snap-fit connection mechanism, allowing users to assemble components without additional tools, contrasting with older designs that relied on rivets.
“We designed the voxel faces to ensure that only the correct connections could be made. This guarantees that, while building with voxels, users will create an accurate wiring configuration. Once the device is completed, it can simply be plugged in and operated,” Smith states. This innovation aims to reduce costs associated with wiring harnesses, which can often be costly and prone to failure.
An Accessible Prototyping Platform
To aid users with limited engineering skills in crafting various interactive devices, the team designed a user-friendly interface for simulating 3D voxel structures.
This interface incorporates a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation model, allowing users to visualize their designs and assess how different forces and loads will affect the structure. It further enhances the simulation with color-coding to highlight potential weaknesses.
“What we’ve created resembles a ‘Minecraft’ for voxel applications. You don’t need extensive knowledge of civil engineering or truss analysis to validate that your structure is safe. VIK empowers anyone to build with confidence,” asserts Forman.
Moreover, users can seamlessly integrate off-the-shelf components such as speakers, sensors, or actuators into their designs, with VIK promoting flexibility to accommodate various microcontrollers users may prefer.
This design tool facilitates rapid modifications to voxel configurations, allowing makers to adapt prototypes easily or dismantle a structure to create something entirely different. When a device reaches the end of its lifecycle, the aluminum voxels can be recycled fully.
The inherent reconfigurability and recyclability of the voxels, combined with their strength, stiffness, lightweight nature, and embedded electronics, position VIK as a potentially transformative resource for sectors such as theater production, where customizable stage designs might only need to exist temporarily.
Looking ahead, VIK’s capabilities could extend to areas like space technology, smart building innovations, and the development of infrastructure in sustainable urban environments.
Ultimately, the researchers are eager to see how users will apply VIK in real-world situations, aiming to foster creativity and innovation.
“The availability of these voxels means that they can be incorporated into daily life in exciting ways. We look forward to seeing what users will create with VIK,” concludes Forman.
Source
www.sciencedaily.com