Francesca Guarnieri

noi

Completion: April, 2021

Context: TU Delft, The Netherlands. Group Academic Project, MSc2 Elective Interactive Urban Furniture (IUF), 1:1 Robotic Prototyping of Parametric Designs.

Supervisor: H. Bier, V. Laslzo, M. Latour + H. Alavi, M. Pavlova, M. Hensel, V. Vogler.

Collaborators: R. Koreman, A. Külekci, T. Love, M. Tong

Tools: Rhino, Grasshopper, Lumion, PremierePro, Illustrator, AdobeXD, Photoshop

For more information on this project, visit the Robotic Building Lab website.

‘Noi’, meaning ‘Us’ in Italian, is a network of electronic Voronoi urban furniture with an integrated sensor-actuator system to entertain and engage the public along the network of WaterBus stops in Rotterdam. The furniture provides opportunities for rest and activity with elements of comfort, playfulness and exercise to challenge the sedentary and isolating lifestyles promoted by the contemporary built environment. The application of the three different scales of the Voronoi logic (micro, meso, macro) inform the entire process.

The project primarily focuses on the Willemsplein WaterBus stop, adjacent to the iconic Erasmusbrug in the centre of Rotterdam, identified as a particularly grey, static streetscape, neglected by forms of interactive design. Its location offers many opportunities for users interaction due to its location at the intersection amongst the Maritiem District, North, the Katendrecht and Kop van Zuid, South, famous for their contemporary architecture and het Park, West.

'Noi' comprises three unique urban furniture modules that can be combined together to create various arrangements. The shape of each module is inspired by the River Maas and reaches a maximum approximate size of four-by-four meter each, resulting from the assembly of two 3D-printing sessions. Each module promotes a different degree of activity intensity. The ‘rest’ module promotes a soft rocking movement in a seating position. The ‘exercise’ module provides opportunity to work out on one side of the furniture, with a step up platform and sit up bench, and a standing / leaning section on the other. The ‘play’ module promotes playfulness, using high porosity cells for handles to encourage climbing.

site

The WaterBus network location alongside the Nieuwe Maas riverbanks in Rotterdam.

The location of focus is adjacent to the Erasmusbrug.

Activities mapping around the site highlights a need for greater human interaction and activation of the area.

concept

The Nieuwe Maas riverbanks inspire the shape of the urban furniture 'Noi'.

'Noi' focuses on three different programs for user interaction: play, exercise and rest.

In the design approach three scales of Voronoi, from larger (less dense) to smaller (more dense) define the three use programs.

design by scales of voronoi

Three scales of design reflect the three scales of Voronoi applied in the furniture design approach.

Macro: urban scale - the WaterBus Network.

Macro: architectural scale - the furniture configurations.

The chosen configuration of study inclusive of the three design programs.

(gif) Night render of the 'Noi' interactive furniture.

Meso: component subdivision by structural analysis - the script.

Meso: component subdivision per printing session.

The assembly of the different components of the furniture is possible via magnetic interlock.

Micro: component subdivision per user interaction.

Micro: materials per ser interaction.

Micro: uses of different micro Voronoi cells density and dimension according to user program.

(mp4) Micro: toolpath / printing of the furniture.

sensor-actuator system

The scales of Voronoi are also present in the scales of the sensor-actuator system.

Sensor-actuator system: from furniture made of 3D-printed piezoelectric filament to interactive lighting activate via physical and digital user interaction.

sensors

Materials sourcing for the 3D-printed filament constituted of recycled plastics is circular & local.

Materials of additive manufacturing uses locally sourced recycled PLA fillers, additives + piezoelectric micro filaments.

Scheme of materials implementation in the printing process.

Example of piezoelectric integration in the 3D-printed filament.

Mapping of the cells density distribution according to the programs of material Interaction in each furniture component.

actuators

Actuator 1: lights responsive to the user actuation via interaction with the piezoelectric structure.

Actuator 1: the lights mimic the movement of the water flowing in the Maas river.

Actuator 1: a flow-like motion when the user approaches the furniture is selected from three considered options.

Actuator 1: interactive lights analysis.

Actuator 2: BigData.

Actuator 2a: the WaterBench App provides a handy and user-friendly interface for feedback loops between the furniture and the ferries.

Actuator 2a: a reward system incentivises the use of the app and thus the creation of a richer BigData loop.

Actuator 2b: BigData.

Actuator 2b: BigData. & IoT.

technology integration

Area of focus of close-scale analysis of technology integration.

Macro: a canal for the lighting is integrated at the base of each module.

Meso: each component is printed separately and has its own lighting canal in which the lighting is threated through.

Micro: the lights are then threaded through canals at the micro level and closed with a pvc cap.

Meso: an enclosed compartment in each module holds the battery in place.

Meso: magnets and sensors at the interlocking end of each component to join different furniture modules. Between magnets are sensors transmitting lighting information for a fluid lighting experience.

Meso: battery to store the energy generated by the interaction between the users interacting with the piezoelectric filaments and to activate the lighting in the modules.

Energy calculations provide information on how much lighting the piezoelectric system will provide.

report

Credits: 'Noi' group in the elective Interactive Urban Furniture (IUF), Delft, 2021.