los angeles CALIFORNIA

SCI-Arc
advisor: andrew ATWOOD

suckerPUNCH: Describe your project.

william HU, samuel LIEW, haleh OLFATI, & jasmine PARK: Layered catenary is a series of experiments that explore material behavior and free form fabrication of a rheological material. The material is deposited from a specifically designed end arm tool mounted on a 6-axis robot. The tool is activated through a pneumatic piston controlled by the integrated air system of the robot arm. The motion of the robot is controlled by Thino and a Grasshopper script generated by Andrew Atwood.

The material propensity allows for high material variability and structural flexibility. The viscous material solidifying under the force of gravity created default forms which are catenaries. The catenary form is layered in a matrix forming a three dimensional grid of catenary structures. By varying the speed and distance of the robot, the strands can vary in thickness and in length. The fabrication process is understood through the video.

sP: What or who influenced this project?
wH, sL, hO, & jP: Andrew Atwood.

sP: What were you reading/listening to/watching while developing this project?
wH, sL, hO, & jP: Nosaj Thing and Mount Kimbie.

sP: Whose work is currently on your radar?
wH, sL, hO, & jP: Andrew Atwood, Ball-Nogues, Michael Hansmeyer, Marc Fornes & THEVERYMANY, Coop Himmelb(l)au.

Additional credits and links:

Layered Catenary Fabrication [VIDEO]
End Arm Tool Assembly [VIDEO]