1-1: Coming up with an idea - It appeared in my dream when I was young!


(a rough-sketch drawn on a piece of paper, a few years ago).

I have been thinking about my final project since after the first class.Last night I remembered the scenary that appeared in my dream when I was a child.

That was "Walking Plants".

A lot of natural plants with legs were walking for taking sunlights and water efficiently. It's like a flock of birds. Moreover it's scalable. A lots of big trees were also walking. It's like a "movable forest"!

In reality, I would like to try to invent the novel "plant pots" embedded sensors and actuators. Some kinds of mechanical engineering skills will be indispensable to achieve this project. I believe it will work as a new device for the next-generation landscape design. "Eco-Tech" and "Green-Tech" is the key for our future......

1-2: Personal interests - I am crazy about plants.




In Japan, I actually used to conduct the research project called "Botanical Interface and Cultivative Media (植物インターフェイスと栽培メディア). "I/O-Plant" (Kuribayashi, Sakamoto and me) and "Botanical Interface Design" are our representative contributions.

While we planned and created various types of "Augmented" Plant Pots in that project, "Movable" pots have never been implemeted yet. I think one reason for that was the limitation of engineering skills. So, in this class, I'd like to learn paticularly "mechanical engineering" to be able to make something movable, foldable and transformable.





1-3: First Modelling and Rendering by using Rhino








Rhino is my favorite 3D-CAD. Brasil is the best rendering environment for me- because it can generate imaginative outputs.



1-4: An idea for implementing the multi-directional movement

OmniWheel "Omni Wheel" would be a key component.
It can rotate both actively and passively.

1-5: Simulation Software ("Swarm Intelligence") by using Processing



sim1 - no sliders
sim2 - added sliders
(Both are not perfect- just sketches- to be completed)

1-6: To do, not to forget


Parametric- Various Sizes (Small/Middle/Large)

One reason I am crazy about plants is "Diversity".I would like to import such a viewpoint into artifacts. So-called "parametric modelling (parametric design)" is useful way to generate variety and diversity.


Open Souce Design/ Open Source Hardware
I am planning to make this project open source project on the Web.
To achieve that, I should keep only using ordinary components and universal technology.No matter where makers are in the world, they can make one. That is my goal.