Less than Two Weeks!

With the most recent foam mock-ups for our heliotropic smart surface, we are beginning the final stages of fabrication. We attempted a few different material uses but have settled on 1/4 inch plastic to be the base of our cellular region. We are choosing to embed the solar cell into the routed plastic and cover the conduits to achieve a polished an clean look for the entire surface. Johanna and I sat on digital project for much of last friday playing with a cellular structure that would not be completely uniform and each cell diameter would begin to gradient or shift in size. After much thought about this, we decided that in order to achieve the assemblage of a uniform field that we were looking for, we would need to create cells that are uniform in size. The motion was what we began to become engaged with, and it is one that requires a uniform cellular field that is modular. We want to create difference with motion between modular pieces rather than simply add variation with shapes. A unique motion in an unvaried field will be much more interesting and aesthetically appealing.

Our surface will be sitting about 3.5-4' off of the ground, which means it will require a frame. We have decided that our durable/shy solar cell aggregation will be encapsulated with a water jet cut steel frame. This gives a few members of the group a long awaited shot at using the water jet cutter and help expand our insistence on a cleanly fabricated surface. Another concern is the servo strength, and the hope that they can spin these cells and allow our surface to work without that terrible noise (ehh err ehh) that servos make when they try their hardest to spin. Jason just emailed the group to say that all of our stuff had arrived so I am incredibly excited to be back in Ann Arbor early tomorrow to check out the new toys.

32 days...

The final Project has been a difficult one to swallow. After early ideas of cigarette recepticals, we moved in and out of focus of the final heliotropic smart surface. Our team has sat down for hours upon hours discussing the implementation of our final design and the who what why where how- the instructors have had their input and thrown more than a few ideas aside, small cellular mock-ups have been made and we are well on our way. This past friday the meeting with the instructors has led me to question the actual endgame of this project. As always there is a delicate balance between the truly thought-out and conceptual integrity of our surface and the formal and detailed fabrication of the surface. Which should have priority because with 32 days left, I beleive that one might be left behind? What do I prefer-the beautiful and operational surface with shakey logic or the well-intentioned nearly-operational surface.

I think with three weeks almost down the drain, we now need to get into fabrication mode, our why might strengthen as we go on. Our surface is an example of biomimicry, in which we use a protective motion that resembles the manner in which the mimosa plant moves to avoid harm. All of the reserve held by the group members and lack of interest in this particular project seems to go away whenever something materializes into an object. This is why we need to focus on making this week rather than talking.