CAREER: Geometry and Mechanics of Textile-Based Structural Design

通过使个人能够参与设计和制造流程，快速成型技术的进步对制造产生了深远的影响。然而，到目前为止，这项技术主要集中在小体积的建筑上；除了训练有素的专家外，创造雕塑和建筑结构大小的大型、耐用和高质量的物品仍然是不切实际的。这项研究结合了计算机图形学、最优化和力学的最新技术，通过探索纺织品在织物模板中的创新应用：3D形状的成型和铸造过程，为将纺织品引入大规模制造奠定了算法基础。模板由柔性织物薄膜组成，其变形由薄膜边界的平衡和来自浇注材料(通常为石膏或混凝土)的流体压力控制。该程序能够使用最少的材料制作具有自由曲面的对象，并具有高达全跨建筑梁和柱的比例范围。纺织品作为一种轻质、经济的材料具有优势，可以很容易地形成曲面并跨越大片区域，因此项目成果有可能极大地改变物体的建造方式(例如，考虑将卷起的织物模板运送到偏远的村庄来建造混凝土遮蔽物，在那里只需要在现场建造一个简单的支撑框架)。将通过选定的设计案例研究来探索更广泛的影响，包括经济欠发达国家的负担得起的建筑、型材混凝土梁的可持续施工方法以及医疗防护设备的膜结构，三个轨道将探索织物模板从设计到制造的完整工作流程。(1)本文的主要贡献是提出了一种新的优化框架，将织物模板问题转化为一个反形设计问题。给定目标形状，目标是在复杂的设计选项空间中导航，包括3D静止形状计算、表面图案和分割、外部支撑的定位以及铸造过程中的方向和边界条件。(2)研究用纺织品构建3D膜表面的图案化技术。目标是一种适用于具有复杂几何和拓扑的自由形式3D形状的通用方法。将研究将表面分割成2D可展开的面板，以允许从平板构造。或者，为了提供局部变化的弹性的额外可能性，3D表面可以直接使用机器编织程序来构建。(3)利用感知的认知原理和传统服装制作的领域知识，研究了生成最终制作阶段的视觉装配指南的算法技术。将制定装配顺序(零件的制造顺序)的策略，以及用于传达装配指令的可视化技术。评估将包括分析物理原型的3D扫描重建和执行用户研究以评估设计平台的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Advances in rapid prototyping have had a profound impact on fabrication, by enabling individuals to engage in the design and manufacturing pipeline. However, the technology has primarily focused to date on small build volumes; creating large, durable, and high-quality objects at the size of sculptural and architectural construction is still impractical for all but highly trained experts. Combining state-of-the-art techniques in computer graphics, optimization, and mechanics, this research will lay the algorithmic foundation for introducing textiles in large scale fabrication by exploring their innovative use for fabric formwork: a molding and casting procedure for 3D shapes. The formwork consists of a flexible fabric membrane whose deformation is governed by equilibrium of the membrane boundary and fluid pressure from the casting material (typically plaster or concrete). The procedure is capable of producing objects with freeform curved surfaces using minimal material and at a range of scales up to full span architectural beams and columns. Textiles offer benefits as a lightweight, economical material that can easily form curved surfaces and span large areas, so project outcomes have the potential to dramatically transform how objects are built (for example, consider shipping rolled up fabric formwork to a remote village to build a concrete shelter, where only a simple supporting frame must be constructed on site). Broader impacts, including affordable construction in economically less developed countries, sustainable construction methods for shaped concrete beams, and membrane structures for medical protective equipment, will be explored through a selection of design case studies,Three tracks will explore the full design-to-fabrication workflow of fabric formwork. (1) The central contribution is a novel optimization framework that poses fabric formwork as an inverse shape design problem. Given a target shape, the goal is to navigate the complex space of design options including 3D rest shape computation, surface patterning and segmentation, positioning of external supports, and orientation and boundary conditions during casting. (2) Patterning techniques will be studied for constructing the 3D membrane surface with textiles. The goal is a generalizable method for free-form 3D shapes with complex geometry and topology. Surface segmentation into 2D developable panels will be studied to allow construction from flat sheets. Alternatively, to provide additional possibilities for locally varying elasticity 3D surfaces may be constructed directly using machine knitting procedures. (3) Drawing upon cognitive principles in perception and domain knowledge in traditional garment making, algorithmic techniques will be investigated for generating visual assembly guides for the final construction phase. Strategies will be developed for the sequence of assembly (the order in which parts are built), along with visualization techniques for communicating assembly instructions. Evaluation will include analyzing 3D scanned reconstructions of physical prototypes and performing user studies to assess the effectiveness of the design platform.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.