reEarth Portfolio 2015 - Development

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H T R A E E R C T E J P R O

REFERENCES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, UP TO DOWN: 1. THE GEODESIC SPHERE (BUCKMINSTER FULLER), 2. TREE LOGIC (NATALIE JEREMIJENKO), 3. EDEN PROJECT (GRIMSHAW ARCHITECTS), 4. HYLOZOIC GROUND (PHILIP BEESLEY), 5. CYBER-GARDEN (ECO LOGIC STUDIO LAB), 6.

MIDORI-SAN (KAYAC), 7.

JUREMA ACTION PLANT (IVAN HENRIQUES) 8.

BRAD THE TOASTER (ADDICTED PRODUCTS), 9.

TELEGARDEN (KEN GOLDBERG), 10.

GARDENS BY THE BAY (WILKINSONEYRE), 11. ORGANIC CINEMA (WORLD WILDER LAB), 12. NOMADIC PLANTS (GILBERTO ESPARZA).

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PROTOTYPE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN KIND, MEN HAVE POSITIONED THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES. THIS FIRST PROTOTYPE PLAYS WITH THE NOTION THAT IN ORDER TO ACCESS ITS ENERGY, MEN MUST LEARN HOW TO RESPECTFULLY INTERACT WITH NATURE - IN THE ORDER SUN/GREEN/MAN.

THE PROTOTYPE IS SEEN AS A LARGER SCALE ARCHITECTURAL IMPROVEMENT. WITH THE REDUCTION OF GARDENS AS YEARS PASS ON, THE DESIGN REPRESENTS A DEPLETED EARTH AS IT IS REGENERATING AND GIVEN NEW LIFE. THE IMAGES BELOW SHOW THE THREE STAGES OF THE INTERACTIVE CONCEPT: 1.

STATIC, 2. DEFORMATION, 3. LIGHT.

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EARTH REBIRTH EARTH REBIRTH IS THE CONTINUATION AND ENLARGEMENT OF THE PROTOTYPE. THE DESIGN PROPOSES AN EGOCENTRIC SUSPENDED GARDEN THAT DEFORMS AND OPENS UP TO REVEAL A SOURCE OF LIGHT INSIDE OF ITS CORE. THE IMAGES ON THE LEFT ILLUSTRATE ITS INTERACTIVITY BY OPENING UP AND DEFORMING THROUGH THE MOVEMENTS OF THE DANCER.

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RE-EARTH RE-EARTH IS THE FIRST OF A STRING OF PROJECTS THAT STARTS MAKING USE OF PLANT E LEC T R O PH YS I O LO GY. THE STRUCTURE, ACTING AS A GREENHOUSE, HAS IT OUTER COVER OPENING AND CLOSING ACCORDING TO THE PLANT VOLTAGE CHANGES. THE IMAGES ILLUSTRATE THE INTERACTIVITY OF CARMEN; A PLANT WHICH HAD ITS BIO-ELECTRICAL SIGNALS CONVERTED TO SOUND AND MOVEMENT.

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RE-EARTH PLANTS HAVE NO NERVOUS SYSTEM BUT USE ELECTRICITY TO TRANSMIT SIGNALS AS ALL LIVING THING DO. IN THIS PROJECT, A SURFACE CONTACT ELECTRODE WAS USED TO MEASURE THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE AND A SIGNAL AMPLIFIER TO CONVERT THEM INTO READABLE MEASUREMENTS. THEY WERE ULTIMATELY MAPPED TO FREQUENCIES IN ORDER TO CREATE A VOICE FOR THE PLANT. THE IMAGES ON THE LEFT DISPLAY THE DIAGRAMS FOR THE ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND ITS RESPECTIVE CIRCUIT.

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RE-EARTH THE SECOND PART OF THE PROJECT INVOLVED A CONVERSION OF THE VOLTAGE CHANGES FROM THE PLANT INTO MOVEMENT BY INFLATABLE SILICONE MODULES. THE UPPER IMAGES DISPLAY AIR MUSCLE DIAGRAMS, CIRCUIT, FABRICATION MODULE, AS WELL AS THE VOLTAGE CHANGES OF THE PLANT. THE LOWER IMAGE ILLUSTRATES THE FULLER DYMAXION MAP (DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF THE FULL RE-EARTH STRUCTURE) WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE CHOSEN PLANTS.

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RE-EARTH THE UPPER IMGAES DISPLAY A DETAIL OF THE STRUCTURE (INDICATING HOW THE PLANTS ARE WATERED), THE PROPOSED DESIGN AND THE FABRICATED ELEMENTS. THE LOWER IMAGE IS A PHOTOGRAPH (FROM A VIDEO) OF THE FABRICATED DESIGN, SHOWING THE PLANT AND THE AIR MUSCLES HELD BY THE DESIGNED VESSEL.

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THE GREEN LAW THE GREEN LAW IS A NETWORK WITH TWO INTERFACES - A CYBER GARDENER AND A PLANT. THE PLANT SENSES THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION IT IS SITUATED IN (LIGHT, VIBRATIONS, TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY) AND MESSAGES THE GARDENER ABOUT THEM. AUTOMATICALLY, THE SYSTEM CALCULATES WHETHER A PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT IS SUITABLE FOR THE PLANT OR NOT. IT NOT, THE CYBER-GARDENER WILL ASK THE PLANT TO TRANSFER TO A NEW ENVIRONMENT. IT IS THEN UP TO HUMAN INTERACTION, FOR THE PLANT TO MOVE ACCORDINGLY.

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PROPOSALS CLOCKWORK GREEN THE CONCEPT PROPOSES A MOVE FROM THE GARDEN CITIES (SIR EBENEZER HOWARD, 1902) TO A NEW FABRICATION OF AUGMENTED PLANTS, PACKAGED AND DISTRIBUTED TO HOMES AND FAMILIES AS THEIR NEW PERSONALISED PET PLANT. APART FROM COLLECTING DATA FOR ITSELF, IT COMMUNICATES WITH SURROUNDING OBJECT, PLANTS AND HUMANS. CLOCKWORK GREEN FEATURES A PLANT INSIDE A MICRO CLIMATE. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL DATA IS MEASURED TO KNOW THE CONDITION OF THE PLANT, WHILE ENVIRONMENTAL SENSORS MEASURE EXTERNAL CONDITIONS. THE PLANT THEN COMPARES THESE TWO ENVIRONMENTS AND TRIES TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO. IT INDICATES THIS BY INFLATING AND DEFLATING ITS BODY. THE IMAGES DISPLAY AN INFORMATION DIAGRAM AND A VISUAL OF A PLANT COMMUNICATING WITH NEIGHBOURING APPLIANCES IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE EXTERIOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

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PROPOSALS PARASITIC GARDENS THE DESIGN ACTS LIKE A VIRUS INSIDE A CITY BY TRYING TO REPLICATE ITSELF. HAVING AN ENCLOSED MICRO-CLIMATE ACTING LIKE A BRAIN AND ROBOTIC ARMS THAT MEASURE THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT, THE SYSTEM TAKES BITS FROM THE PLANT AND SOIL AND CREATES A NEW ENVIRONMENT TO ENCLOSE A NEW PLANT. THE GARDEN HARVESTS POWER BY HACKING INTO URBAN ELECTRICAL OUTLETS, REPLICATES ITSELF, TAKES CARE OF THE NEW PLANT AND GIVES IT TO PASSERS BY IN ORDER TO EVOKE SOCIAL RESPONABILITY, THEREBY RESTARTING THE CYCLE.

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PROPOSALS THE SEED THE PROPOSAL IS A MICRO-CLIMATE IN A STELLATED ICOSAHEDRON REPRESENTING A SEED. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL M E A S U R E M E N T S DETERMINE WHETHER THE PLANT IS IN A GOOD CONDITION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SENSORS IN THE LEGS REGULATE WHERE IT SHOULD POSITION ITSELF. THE SOFT TISSUE MEMBRANES ON THE LEGS OPEN UP TO CREATE SHADING WHEN NEEDED. THEY ALSO ELONGATE THEMSELVES TO SEEK OUT NEW CONDITIONS. SEASONALLY, THE PLANT PRODUCES SEEDS. THEY FALL INSIDE THE INNER CORE WHILE IT IS ROTATING. WHEN IT DEEMS NECESSARY, THE PLANT WILL RELEASE THE SEEDS THROUGH ITS LEGS, WHILE STEPPING ON THEM. THE LOWER IMAGE ILLUSTRATES THREE SEEDS ROLLING IN A BACKYARD. THE DETACHED ENVIRONMENTAL SENSORS MEASURE THE EXTERNAL CONDITIONS WHILE INFORMING THE PLANT OF A POTENTIAL SUITABLE LOCATION.

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THE SEED FOLLOWING THE SEED PROPOSAL, THE SHAPE NOW CHANGES TO A GEODESIC SPHERE, IN A WAY THAT EACH OF THE HEXAGONS AND PENTAGONS EXTEND TO BECOME PYRAMIDS. THUS, THE PENTAGONAL ONES TAKE THE ROLE OF THE LEGS THAT MAKE THE STRUCTURE ROLL, WHILE THE HEXAGONALS ACT AS SHADING DEVICES AND SENSORS. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL DATA IS MEASURED FROM THE PLANT AND THE SENSORS DIRECT THE STRUCTURE ACCORDINGLY. THE UPPER VISUAL DISPLAYS THE INNER LAYERS OF THE NEW STRUCTURE. THE LOWER IMAGES SHOW DETAILS OF A SECTIONAL MODEL AS SEEN FROM ABOVE AND THE SIDE.

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SET - UP THE PLANT HAS THREE RECORDING ELECTRODES AS INPUTS, TWO OF WHICH INSIDE THE STEM, AND THE THIRD INSIDE THE SOIL, ACTING AS GROUND. THESE ARE ATTACHED TO AN ARDUINO MICROCONTROLLER AND A SIGNAL AMPIFYING CIRCUIT. THE CIRCUIT IS ADDITIONALLY CONNECTED TO A RASPBERRY PI THAT DISPLAYS THE READINGS AND LOGS THEM IN A TEXT FILE.

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ITERATION 1 SPHERICAL ROBOT

IN THIS PROPOSAL, THE THREE METRE GEODESIC SPHERE HAS A ROBOTIC CORE THAT DRIVES THE STRUCTURE, FOLLOWED

BY PLANTS HELD BY A MESH AND SHADING DEVICES (INSIDE THE SPHERE) THAT EXTEND TO DETECT CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

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ITERATION 1 SPHERICAL ROBOT PEOPLE INTERACTING WITH BIG-B IN VICTORIA PARK.

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ITERATION 2 WEIGHT SHIFTER

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ITERATION 3 IN THIS PHASE OF THE PROJECT, THE PLANTS WERE GIVEN A GEODESIC SPHERE AS AN EXOSKELETON. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS ARE MEASURED FROM THE PLANTS AND LIGHT SENSORS DIRECT THE STRUCTURE ACCORDINGLY.

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VISUAL TRAFALGAR SQUARE BIG-B AS IMAGINED, WALKING WITH PEOPLE IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE.

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VISUAL PATERNOSTER SQUARE BIG-B VISUALISED AS AN EXPLORER, AS IT ROLLS IN PATERNOSTER SQUARE. THE PLANTS’ RESPONSE TO THE EXTERNAL E N V I R O N M E N T (OBSERVED THROUGH ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY) DICTATE THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE SPHERE.

BY MEANS OF THE OPENING ACTUATORS HOLDING THE GARDENS, BIG-B WILL BE ABLE TO ROLL ACCORDINGLY.

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INT. LIGHTING

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EXPERIMENT1 FOUR PLANTS WERE ALIGNED ON A TABLE ALONGSIDE A PURPOSELY BUILT ROBOTIC LAMP. ELECTRODES WERE ATTACHED TO PLANTS A AND B. THE LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF AND THE SYSTEM STARTED RECORDING. WHEN THE CONTROL (DARK) TEST WAS OVER, THE ELECTRODES WERE INSERTED INTO PLANTS C AND D. DURING THE DURATION OF THE SECOND PHASE OF THE EXPERIMENTS, THE LAMP WAS SWITCHED ON AND ALTERNATELY DIRECTED THE LIGHT AT THE TWO PLANTS.

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EXPERIMENT2 THE PREVIOUS EXPERIMENT WAS FURTHER IMPROVED BY TAKING THE APPARATUS OUTDOORS TO TEST REALTIME CONDITIONS IN RELATION TO THE TIME OF DAY.

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EXPERIMENT2

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EXPERIMENT2

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THE MAKING OF THE GEODESIC SPHERE OF BIG-B IS THE SKELETON OF ‘MYCUP’, A SUSPENDED INSTALLATION IN THE BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH LOBBY SPACE, AIMING TO RESTORE WASTE RESPONSABILITY THROUGH AWARENESS. IT HAS A THREE METRE DIAMETER AND IS MADE OUT OF 270 (1 INCH DIAMETER) TUBES, 168 METRES IN TOTAL LENGTH. THE IMAGES ON THE LEFT DISPLAY THE FABRICATION PROCESS OF THE SPHERE AND THE FINAL ASSEMBLED PIECE.

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THE MAKING OF THE UPPER IMAGE DISPLAYS THE COMPLETE GEODESIC SPHERE. A HOLE WAS OPENED FOR THE CORE TO BE INSERTED INSIDE. THE LOWER IMAGE DISPLAYS THE CORE OF BIG-B IN STAND-BY.

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THE MAKING OF THE IMAGES ON THE LEFT DISPLAY SEVERAL DETAILS OF THE CORE, INCLUDING THE TURNBUCKLES AND CARABINIERS. AN LED STRIP LIGHT CAN ALSO BE SEEN IN THE INNER SECTION.

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THE MAKING OF THE IMAGES ON THE LEFT DISPLAY FURTHER DETAILS OF THE CORE’S CONNECTION TO THE SPHERE. PREDOMINANTLY, THE STEEL CABLES’ METHOD OF MAKING AND ATTACHMENT IS SHOWN.

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THE MAKING OF THE IMAGES ON THE LEFT FEATURE THE SYSTEM EMPLOYED TO CONTROL THE EXTENSION OF THE LINEAR ACTUATORS. THE LAPTOP SCREEN DISPLAYS THE INSTANCES WHEN A BLACK DOT HAS BEEN READ BY THE OPTICAL SENSOR.

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THE MAKING OF THE IMAGES ON THE LEFT DISPLAY THE MAKING OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE FOR THE GARDENS. THE ALUMINIUM TUBE IS SLID AND FIXED TO THE LINEAR ACTUATOR, THEREBY HOLDING IT WHEN THE SPHERE ROTATES.

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THE MAKING OF THE FINAL SET OF IMAGES DISPLAY THE SUPPORT FOR THE PLANTS (POTS), FIXED TO THE PREVIOUSLY DISPLAYED TUBE. THE SUBSTRUCTURE IS LASER-CUT AND PAINTED PLYWOOD. THE POTS ARE VACUUMFORMED FROM A PREVIOUSLY CAST MOULD.

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82% COMPLETE

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82% COMPLETE

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82% COMPLETE

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82% COMPLETE

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LOGIC DIAGRAM AS AP’S INDICATE WOUNDING WHILE VP’S INDICATE A FORM OF TRANSITION (BEING LIGHTING OR COOLING), A GENERAL METHODOLOGY FOR REEARTH IS THAT THE TWO SIGNALS NOTIFY TWO FORMS OF OUTPUTS. AP’S WOULD ENCOURAGE A SUDDEN MOVEMENT WHILE VP’S INDICATE THE NEED FOR A NEW LOCATION. ADDITIONALLY, IN ORDER TO INFER THE CORRECT REQUIREMENTS, A NUMBER OF LIGHT SENSORS HELP IN ENSURING THE RIGHT OUTPUT. A LIGHT-TOFREQUENCY CONVERTER MEASURES DAYLIGHT (IN RELATION TO THE TIME OF DAY). THUS, IT IS KNOWN WHETHER THE VP’S WERE PROVOKED BY A CHANGE IN LIGHTING. IF NOT, THE SYSTEM JUMPS TO THE NEXT POSSIBILITY.

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CIRCUIT MODIFIED CIRCUIT DIAGRAM (ORIGINALLY DESIGNED BY THE WORLD WILDER LAB, THE NETHERLANDS)

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PHOTOGRAPHS THE PHOTOGRAPHS ON THE LEFT DISPLAY A SELECTION OF PLANTS CHOSEN FOR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTATION.

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CALCULATION

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INFOGRAPHIC

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DRAWING

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