CAREER: Geometry and Mechanics of Textile-Based Structural Design

快速原型技术的进步对制造产生了深远的影响，使个人能够参与设计和制造管道。然而，到目前为止，该技术主要集中在小型构建量上；除了训练有素的专家之外，创造大型的、耐用的、高质量的雕塑和建筑结构的物体仍然是不切实际的。结合计算机图形、优化和力学方面的最新技术，本研究将通过探索织物模板的创新用途，为将纺织品引入大规模制造奠定算法基础：3D形状的成型和铸造过程。模板由柔性织物膜组成，其变形由膜边界的平衡和铸造材料（通常是石膏或混凝土）的流体压力控制。该过程能够使用最少的材料和在整个跨度的建筑梁和柱的范围内生产具有自由曲面的物体。纺织品作为一种轻质、经济的材料，可以很容易地形成曲面和跨越大面积，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一个偏远的村庄，建造一个混凝土庇护所，在那里只需在现场建造一个简单的支撑框架）。更广泛的影响，包括经济欠发达国家的经济负担得起的建筑，塑形混凝土梁的可持续施工方法，以及医疗防护设备的膜结构，将通过一系列设计案例研究进行探索。(1)核心贡献是一种新的优化框架，将织物模板作为反形状设计问题。给定目标形状，目标是导航设计选项的复杂空间，包括3D休息形状计算，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)研究利用纺织品构建三维膜表面的图案技术。目标是为具有复杂几何和拓扑结构的自由三维形状提供一种可推广的方法。将研究将表面分割成二维可展开面板，以便从平板上进行施工。另外，为了提供局部变化弹性的额外可能性，可以直接使用机器编织程序构造3D表面。(3)借鉴传统服装制作中的感知认知原理和领域知识，研究算法技术，为最终施工阶段生成视觉组装指南。将为装配顺序（零件制造的顺序）制定策略，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。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.