Emergent, self-organizing and unpredictable form

unpredictability of simplicity:

caterpillars - silk - form

unpredictability of simplicity:

caterpillars - silk - form

unpredictability of simplicity:

caterpillars - silk - form

emergence (in nature?) pattern | (group) behaviour | adaptation

emergence in nature pattern | (group) behaviour | adaptation

Silk pavilion by MIT’s Mediated Matter group Silk producers cannot live in the wild after centuries of domestication and have lost (shed?) their ability to fly. Wild silkworm moths can fly, but their silk’s quality is much less desirable to humans.

Silk caterpillars do not display apparent remarkable group behaviours (due to domestication?) and individually spin the cocoons.

“3-D printed” using 6,500 live silkworms. Started with experiments to see if the spinning patterns of the silkworms could be controlled by altering the environment which they operated in. An aluminium scaffold was constructed and a CNC robot was used to string a lattice of silk starter threads across it in patterns to provide a base for the worms to operate. The aluminium and string frame was hung in an atrium at MIT and the silkworms were released on it .

[ emergence without adaptation is like snowflakes: Beautiful but with no apparent function-Steven Johnson ]

emergence in nature pattern (?) | (group) behaviour | adaptation

However...

Initially, some degree of self-organization or self-assembly occurs in the silk as a result of protein- protein interactions among the crystalline repeats in the protein chains, driven by both hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding.

The density of the strings on the scaffold determined the opacity of a given panel. The output can’t be fully controlled, but the emergent (?) behaviour of the worms can lead to unexpected textures and features that would be impossible to plan.

IF

emergence ( ?) pattern | (group) behaviour | adaptation

is natural

is minimal is human driven,

ARE SILKWORMS AN EXAMPLE OF EMERGENCE? (OR DOES EMERGENCE OCCUR WHEN THE ORGANISM IS GIVEN AN ARTIFICIAL FRAMEWORK?)

emergence (in nature?) pattern | (group) behaviour | adaptation

emergence in nature pattern | (group) behaviour | adaptation

Silk pavilion by MIT’s Mediated Matter group Silk producers cannot live in the wild after centuries of domestication and have lost (shed?) their ability to fly. Wild silkworm moths can fly, but their silk’s quality is much less desirable to humans.

Silk caterpillars do not display apparent remarkable group behaviours (due to domestication?) and individually spin the cocoons.

“3-D printed” using 6,500 live silkworms. Started with experiments to see if the spinning patterns of the silkworms could be controlled by altering the environment which they operated in. An aluminium scaffold was constructed and a CNC robot was used to string a lattice of silk starter threads across it in patterns to provide a base for the worms to operate. The aluminium and string frame was hung in an atrium at MIT and the silkworms were released on it .

[ emergence without adaptation is like snowflakes: Beautiful but with no apparent function-Steven Johnson ]

emergence in nature pattern (?) | (group) behaviour | adaptation

However...

Initially, some degree of self-organization or self-assembly occurs in the silk as a result of protein- protein interactions among the crystalline repeats in the protein chains, driven by both hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding.

The density of the strings on the scaffold determined the opacity of a given panel. The output can’t be fully controlled, but the emergent (?) behaviour of the worms can lead to unexpected textures and features that would be impossible to plan.

IF

emergence ( ?) pattern | (group) behaviour | adaptation

is natural

is minimal is human driven,

ARE SILKWORMS AN EXAMPLE OF EMERGENCE? (OR DOES EMERGENCE OCCUR WHEN THE ORGANISM IS GIVEN AN ARTIFICIAL FRAMEWORK?)

a

k

b

{possible paths}

l

l

j h

b c

a

c

d

f

c

a

d

b

b a

i

e

c

based on

c

d a

l g

b

c b

c

a

b d a

g

b d

b d a

i e

f

a

j h

g

a

collective behaviour ?

k

c

k h

j

l

i

g

k h

x(

system < sum of parts?

j i

f

e

d

f

e

d

a

b

c

a

b

c

)

maybe, but each agent can work as an individual

unexpected, unpredictable results? yes

b

adaptable agents?

hypotheses on framework-free agent relationships to physical boundaries / framework

interactions? ri pple effects? can be set on parameters

complexity or potential for complexity? yes, based on framework, environment unexpected patterns non hierarchical behaviour, but no apparent hypotheses on framework, free, parameter-driven agents and function

group behaviour

hierarchy?

a

k

b

{possible paths}

l

l

j h

b c

a

c

d

f

c

a

d

b

b a

i

e

c

based on

c

d a

l g

b

c b

c

a

b d a

g

b d

b d a

i e

f

a

j h

g

a

collective behaviour ?

k

c

k h

j

l

i

g

k h

x(

system < sum of parts?

j i

f

e

d

f

e

d

a

b

c

a

b

c

)

maybe, but each agent can work as an individual

unexpected, unpredictable results? yes

b

adaptable agents?

hypotheses on framework-free agent relationships to physical boundaries / framework

interactions? ri pple effects? can be set on parameters

complexity or potential for complexity? yes, based on framework, environment unexpected patterns non hierarchical behaviour, but no apparent hypotheses on framework, free, parameter-driven agents and function

group behaviour

hierarchy?

FORM-FINDING STRATEGIES:

ELASTIC SURFACES (FABRICS)

an open-ended project that examines systems which demonstrate the ability of generating complexity from simple rules

APPROACH (top)

computerized form-finding:

SEAN AHLQUIST

(+) (-)

iterative exploration of variable circumstances.

qualification of matter and specification of behaviours describes his work with computational spring algorithms that have enabled iterative investigations of tension active systems and

MATERIAL PERFORMANCE, COMPUTATIONAL, BUT HEAVILY COMPUTERIZED MAPPING

structures. (TOP-BOTTOM APPROACH)

MARIO CARPO

[CASE STUDIES] MEMBRANE SPACES

FREI OTTO

“Digital simulation can make and break more models in a few seconds than a traditional craftsman could in a lifetime, thus making intuitive, heuristic form finding by trial and error a perfectly viable design strategy.”

“(...) membrane systems must be form-found, utilising the self organisational behaviour of membranes under extrinsic influences such as by applying tensile forces, and by constraining the membrane via specifically chosen CONTROL POINTS. ”

ANALOG FORM-MAKING

soap films: minimal surfaces, that is, surfaces that minimise the surface area for given boundary conditions VIA ANALOG MODELS

(bottom) EMERGENCE?

how can the form-making process MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLE A NATURALLY EMERGENT SYSTEM? (see MIT MEDIA LAB SILK PAVILION)

?

vs.

NATURAL COMPUTATIONAL FORM-MAKING

[END]

FORM-FINDING STRATEGIES:

ELASTIC SURFACES (FABRICS)

an open-ended project that examines systems which demonstrate the ability of generating complexity from simple rules

APPROACH (top)

computerized form-finding:

SEAN AHLQUIST

(+) (-)

iterative exploration of variable circumstances.

qualification of matter and specification of behaviours describes his work with computational spring algorithms that have enabled iterative investigations of tension active systems and

MATERIAL PERFORMANCE, COMPUTATIONAL, BUT HEAVILY COMPUTERIZED MAPPING

structures. (TOP-BOTTOM APPROACH)

MARIO CARPO

[CASE STUDIES] MEMBRANE SPACES

FREI OTTO

“Digital simulation can make and break more models in a few seconds than a traditional craftsman could in a lifetime, thus making intuitive, heuristic form finding by trial and error a perfectly viable design strategy.”

“(...) membrane systems must be form-found, utilising the self organisational behaviour of membranes under extrinsic influences such as by applying tensile forces, and by constraining the membrane via specifically chosen CONTROL POINTS. ”

ANALOG FORM-MAKING

soap films: minimal surfaces, that is, surfaces that minimise the surface area for given boundary conditions VIA ANALOG MODELS

(bottom) EMERGENCE?

?

how can the form-making process MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLE A NATURALLY EMERGENT SYSTEM? (see MIT MEDIA LAB SILK PAVILION)

vs.

NATURAL COMPUTATIONAL FORM-MAKING

[END]

FORM-FINDING STRATEGIES:

ELASTIC SURFACES (FABRICS)

an open-ended project that examines systems which demonstrate the ability of generating complexity from simple rules

[OBSERVATIONS]

[OBJECTIVE]

effectively illustrate dynamic form determination via the patters of non-hierarchically driven agents

SEEKING AGENTS OF SURFACE FORM-MAKING (SIMPLE RULES = COMPLEX FORM)

>ALTERING ATTACHMENTS = DYNAMISM, EMERGENT COMPLEX FORM >TRACKING POINTS = COMPUTATION >HOW TO DELEGATE ATTACHMENT POINTS TO FREE, NON-HIERARCHICAL AGENTS? >“While particle systems have been explored in computational design, they are often not engaged to provide information beyond the position after a certain equilibrium state has been realised.” -Sean Alqhuist

PROBABILITY OF MAPPING TENSIONED SURFACES THREE-DIMENSIONALLY WITH LINE INTERSECTIONS

POTENTIAL FOR MAPPING EXISTING SURFACE INTO DIGITAL REALM, OR GENERATING A SURFACE FROM A SERIES OF COORDINATES

BASIC PROPERTIES:

>INFORMATION ON ELASTICITY CAPABILITIES OF DIFFERENT FABRICS >ELASTICITY DEPENDENT ON WEAVING PATTERN + MATERIAL OF FABRIC >FABRIC SURFACES CLEARLY ILLUSTRATE FORCES AT WORK >POINTS OF ATTACHMENT AND TENSION DETERMINE RESULTING THREAD DENSITIES

>DENSITY >FORCES >ELASTICITY COMPARISON >SURFACE LOSS TO ELASTICITY GAIN RATIOS >FABRIC HYBRIDS >UNINFORMED FORM

ANALOG ADAPTATION OF NATURAL AGENTS ILLUSTRATING NON-HIERARCHICAL, DYNAMIC FORM MAKING

BAMBOO: 4 POINTS BAMBOO: 1 POINT CLIMBER PLANT BOMBIX MORI (SILK CATERPILLAR)

DIGITAL: FINDING NATURAL GROWTH / L-SYSTEM ALGORITHM RELATED TO SURFACE POINTS OF ATTACHMENT [attempts to combine natural surface relaxation + natural growth function

with Grasshopper software]

FORM-FINDING STRATEGIES:

ELASTIC SURFACES (FABRICS)

an open-ended project that examines systems which demonstrate the ability of generating complexity from simple rules

[OBSERVATIONS]

[OBJECTIVE]

effectively illustrate dynamic form determination via the patters of non-hierarchically driven agents

SEEKING AGENTS OF SURFACE FORM-MAKING (SIMPLE RULES = COMPLEX FORM)

>ALTERING ATTACHMENTS = DYNAMISM, EMERGENT COMPLEX FORM >TRACKING POINTS = COMPUTATION >HOW TO DELEGATE ATTACHMENT POINTS TO FREE, NON-HIERARCHICAL AGENTS? >“While particle systems have been explored in computational design, they are often not engaged to provide information beyond the position after a certain equilibrium state has been realised.” -Sean Alqhuist

PROBABILITY OF MAPPING TENSIONED SURFACES THREE-DIMENSIONALLY WITH LINE INTERSECTIONS

POTENTIAL FOR MAPPING EXISTING SURFACE INTO DIGITAL REALM, OR GENERATING A SURFACE FROM A SERIES OF COORDINATES

BASIC PROPERTIES:

>INFORMATION ON ELASTICITY CAPABILITIES OF DIFFERENT FABRICS >ELASTICITY DEPENDENT ON WEAVING PATTERN + MATERIAL OF FABRIC >FABRIC SURFACES CLEARLY ILLUSTRATE FORCES AT WORK >POINTS OF ATTACHMENT AND TENSION DETERMINE RESULTING THREAD DENSITIES

>DENSITY >FORCES >ELASTICITY COMPARISON >SURFACE LOSS TO ELASTICITY GAIN RATIOS >FABRIC HYBRIDS >UNINFORMED FORM

ANALOG ADAPTATION OF NATURAL AGENTS ILLUSTRATING NON-HIERARCHICAL, DYNAMIC FORM MAKING

BAMBOO: 4 POINTS BAMBOO: 1 POINT CLIMBER PLANT BOMBIX MORI (SILK CATERPILLAR)

DIGITAL: FINDING NATURAL GROWTH / L-SYSTEM ALGORITHM RELATED TO SURFACE POINTS OF ATTACHMENT [attempts to combine natural surface relaxation + natural growth function

with Grasshopper software]

Elastic fabric: Form is determied by points of attachment. + Natural growth: Could points of attachment be manipulated by behaviors resembling those of algorythms dictating natural blunting development, therefore creating form without human intervention, while retaining intelligent parameters?

"Bluntings: Developments intended to yield evolutionary processes adapted to movements of growth" -TMDAA by Actar Arquitectura

Elastic fabric: Form is determied by points of attachment. + Natural growth: Could points of attachment be manipulated by behaviors resembling those of algorythms dictating natural blunting development, therefore creating form without human intervention, while retaining intelligent parameters?

"Bluntings: Developments intended to yield evolutionary processes adapted to movements of growth" -TMDAA by Actar Arquitectura

HUBs (Hybridity-Unfolding-Bluntings) assembled. Examination of

relationships between

form and points of attachment

mapping points

caterpillars

[construting fabric mediums to accomodate

thread as additional layer of interaction

3d printing as additional

layer of interaction

HUBs (Hybridity-Unfolding-Bluntings) assembled. Examination of

relationships between

form and points of attachment

mapping points

caterpillars

[construting fabric mediums to accomodate

thread as additional layer of interaction

3d printing as additional

layer of interaction

initial 8x8x8" HUBs

CATERPILLARS OF DIFFERENT AGES OBTAINED

INTERACTION BETWEEN HUBS, ENCASING FOR PROTECTION OF CATERPILLARS

DESIRED WEAVING ON FABRIC, RESULTS BASED ON UNKNOWN FACTORS

PLACEMENT ON HUBS

UNDERSIRED RESULTS: CORNER WEAVING

DESIRED WEAVING ON FABRIC, RESULTS BASED ON MORE RESTRICTING HUBS

initial 8x8x8" HUBs

CATERPILLARS OF DIFFERENT AGES OBTAINED

INTERACTION BETWEEN HUBS, ENCASING FOR PROTECTION OF CATERPILLARS

DESIRED WEAVING ON FABRIC, RESULTS BASED ON UNKNOWN FACTORS

PLACEMENT ON HUBS

UNDERSIRED RESULTS: CORNER WEAVING

DESIRED WEAVING ON FABRIC, RESULTS BASED ON MORE RESTRICTING HUBS

FORMATION OF COCOONS ON THE HUBS

DETACHMENT OF HUBS

THE FABRICS

FROM ENCASEMENT TO AVOID FURTHER UNDESIRED CORNER WEAVING BY TYING TO WALLS, STRETCHING

ACCIDENTAL FORMATION OF COCOONS ON UNPREPARED FABRICS

MEDIUMS

WEAVING PATTERN ON

RESULTS

MOTHS

DETACHED HUB

DESIRED WEAVING ON HYBRID

FORMATION OF COCOONS ON THE HUBS

DETACHMENT OF HUBS

THE FABRICS

FROM ENCASEMENT TO AVOID FURTHER UNDESIRED CORNER WEAVING BY TYING TO WALLS, STRETCHING

ACCIDENTAL FORMATION OF COCOONS ON UNPREPARED FABRICS

MEDIUMS

WEAVING PATTERN ON

RESULTS

MOTHS

DETACHED HUB

DESIRED WEAVING ON HYBRID

This fast-paced extracurricular workshop studied elastic fabrics' ability to portray and engage the phenomenon of emergent, self-organizing and unpredictable form. It was essential to understand emergence as the natural, decentralized, non-hierarchical phenomenon of self-organization of form as yielded by the development of manual algorithms and logical processes via analog computation, and as influenced by material properties, context and other factors.

MITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s silkworm pavilion experiment, a precedent which stimulated questions on the parameters of emergence, is a peculiar case study where natural agents that don't seem to display the survival-guided social behaviors of animal groups -such as the ant colony- create emergent complex form when introduced to a man-made medium.

Initially, the experiment aimed to allow free agents to determine the fabrics' points of attachment, hence allowing form-making though a bottom-to-top approach, and starting with self-organizing, basic, independent and computational agents working together in a decentralized fashion. Live silkworms were introduced to the study aiming for this approach, resulting in a system that expresses the juxtaposition of the form made by the agent -as shaped by its natural, goal-oriented reasons- with elastic fabric media. The silkworm (bombix mori) does constructs more flexible in form under different spatial conditions not limited to two-dimensional or planar designs (more so than the spider, for example) The fabric media was initially meant to be interposed after the agent acted. Ultimately, however, experimenting with digital representations of algorithmic functions of natural growth determined the attachment points of the fabrics, and hence, their forms, after which, the agents were placed to observe their constructs. The fabric, thread and wood media, or HUBs (hybridity | unfoldings | bluntings) required parameters which would determine some of the agents behaviors (i.e. discouraging corner weaving), undermining totally decentralized emergence.

Differing from the silk pavilion, the experiment was not attempt to express future possible material applications, but to express possible organic interactions between parameters of emergent form-making and man-made materials. The juxtaposition of and the interactions between natural and artificial elastic fibers was secondary.

The results were organic, with most agents successfully completing their life cycles after spinning on both intended and unintended surfaces. Limitations were observed in controlling the agentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; spinning behaviors, but closely observing patterns, and opening questions about further media and the wide range of possible unpredictable results, as well as about the feedback of natural systems on artificial ones became a tangible source of interest. This is a system with potential for complexity and further experimentation, and despite not fully achieving a bottom to top approach, it offers a close look at the influence of constructed spaces on natural behaviors.

This fast-paced extracurricular workshop studied elastic fabrics' ability to portray and engage the phenomenon of emergent, self-organizing and unpredictable form. It was essential to understand emergence as the natural, decentralized, non-hierarchical phenomenon of self-organization of form as yielded by the development of manual algorithms and logical processes via analog computation, and as influenced by material properties, context and other factors.

MITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s silkworm pavilion experiment, a precedent which stimulated questions on the parameters of emergence, is a peculiar case study where natural agents that don't seem to display the survival-guided social behaviors of animal groups -such as the ant colony- create emergent complex form when introduced to a man-made medium.

Initially, the experiment aimed to allow free agents to determine the fabrics' points of attachment, hence allowing form-making though a bottom-to-top approach, and starting with self-organizing, basic, independent and computational agents working together in a decentralized fashion. Live silkworms were introduced to the study aiming for this approach, resulting in a system that expresses the juxtaposition of the form made by the agent -as shaped by its natural, goal-oriented reasons- with elastic fabric media. The silkworm (bombix mori) does constructs more flexible in form under different spatial conditions not limited to two-dimensional or planar designs (more so than the spider, for example) The fabric media was initially meant to be interposed after the agent acted. Ultimately, however, experimenting with digital representations of algorithmic functions of natural growth determined the attachment points of the fabrics, and hence, their forms, after which, the agents were placed to observe their constructs. The fabric, thread and wood media, or HUBs (hybridity | unfoldings | bluntings) required parameters which would determine some of the agents behaviors (i.e. discouraging corner weaving), undermining totally decentralized emergence.

Differing from the silk pavilion, the experiment was not attempt to express future possible material applications, but to express possible organic interactions between parameters of emergent form-making and man-made materials. The juxtaposition of and the interactions between natural and artificial elastic fibers was secondary.

The results were organic, with most agents successfully completing their life cycles after spinning on both intended and unintended surfaces. Limitations were observed in controlling the agentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; spinning behaviors, but closely observing patterns, and opening questions about further media and the wide range of possible unpredictable results, as well as about the feedback of natural systems on artificial ones became a tangible source of interest. This is a system with potential for complexity and further experimentation, and despite not fully achieving a bottom to top approach, it offers a close look at the influence of constructed spaces on natural behaviors.