Author(s): Emilio Gonzales, Jarin Hoque, Priscilla Subramaniam & David Correa
The structural characteristics of plants have served as inspiration in the development of multiple engineering and architecture strategies. Since plants lack a skeletal frame, they have developed creative means of support using hierarchical structural organizations of material units in combination with optimized shapes across their anatomy. One field that remains understudied is the use of hierarchical structures within designed materials, particularly in relation to elastic systems. This research looks at the Plantain Lily (Hosta ventricosa) as the biological role model for the development of an elastic actuator with functionally graded bending stiff¬ness for architectural applications. Practical applications of the research look towards a composition of materials with different structural properties whose material mimics hierar¬chical structures found in the plantain lily. A hybrid 3D printing (3DP) process, using Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and an elastic fabric substrate, is used to develop a bio-inspired flap mechanism. TPU, an elastic and flexible 3DP filament, acts as the dense vascular bundles and is printed on a stretched fabric substrate in an expanding linear design inspired by the plant’s venation patterns. This mechanism is manually controlled through a tension system, stretching the composite actuator, and returning to its original form due to the TPU and fabric substrate’s elastic properties. The kinematic potential of the system is demonstrated through the integration of the flap mechanism within an aperture system for passive ventila¬tion in an architectural application. The findings in our study will contribute towards a better understanding of 3DP in the material development of bio-inspired elastic systems while offering insights into potential application of these systems in passive ventilation within climate adaptive architecture.
Volume Editors
ISBN
978-1-944214-49-4