Signal 2: Drone-built Open Space
A canopy that can be rearranged real-time with drones, following the sun’s movement. Catching a glimpse of the future of architecture, graduate students from the University of Stuttgart’s research department are developing new construction methods using robotic digital fabrication.
The project Cyber Physical Macro Materials uses modular carbon fiber filament with communication and sensing capabilities, which are able to communicate with the drones to facilitate their movement. These movement can be manually controlled, follow an algorithm that responds to the changing orientation of the sun, or even an algorithm which detects the occupants beneath it and adding, removing, and shifting accordingly.
The system comes with a few flaws in terms of real life use, such as the noisy buzz drones make when they fly around. Also not to forget the limited lifespan of the drone’s battery power when flying. There may come a time when drones are more optimized to fly more quietly and for a longer time, as imagined by these researchers. This project is about reimagining the approach of building environments with drones as a potential helping hand.
Source: https://newatlas.com/live-shapeshifting-canopy-drones-stuttgart/56291/
