26 KINETIC SYSTEMS AND INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS AS BUILDING COMPONENTS

S. Visalakshi Rajeswari

Introduction

The term ‘Reconfigurable’ means rearrangement of the elements or settings of a unit as per the requirements. They are fabricated in ways enabling dismantling and reassembling when required. Living space is nothing but the place where people dwell in, i.e. the place where one eats, sleeps, takes rest, cooks etc. Reconfigurable living space is a unit that provides all these facilities and services along with the benefit of carrying it along (being portable) by the dweller where ever they go.

Reconfigurable living spaces or kinetic (movable) structures

The Pandal: This is a temporary abode; but in reality it is much more than that. Once upon a time they were made of simple bamboo scaffolding with meters of cloth draped around, but today this cannot be more different. The pandal is built in all conceivable forms and structures like replicas of famous temples, parliament houses, mansions, forts etc. Only difference lies in the material used to drape the framework. The materials used in construction of these pandals are no longer the simple bamboo and cloth, but plywood, plaster, dried leaves, thermocol (packing materials) just to name a few. So intricate and elaborate are these structures that it is indeed difficult to differentiate the Pandals from the real structures. They once adorned all festival sites, fairs, trade fairs and celebration sites. In recent years food courts, wedding reception areas, political campaign spots and such places have made pandals a mandatory inclusion adding to the pomp and pleasure in celebrations. In India, especially it has become a popular entrepreneurial avenue.

Textile architecture: Pandals can be very ornate resembling a famous monument or as simple as enclosing a space for shelter purposes. Nowadays this concept of pandals has penetrated real construction sites with the advent of the technical textiles in building and home construction, especially in the construction of roofs. Evidences of their penetration in India are seen in hotels,airport lounges, gallery roofing in stadiums etc., though representations of higher order are found in other countries.

Bubble house: This shelter is made out of a lightweight plastic skin that is put on over an aluminium frame. Clothing, fabrics, grass or other materials can be inserted into the skin to create insulation, and it also includes hook-ups for water and utilities. Minimalist in design, this prototype has a lot of potential to be easily manufactured and deployed.

Recover Accordion shelter: This emergency shelter, first of its kind, is extremely easy to transport and set up requiring only one person to fix it. Made out of polypropylene, the shelter can form many shapes and provide relief for up to 4 people, while rainwater can be collected from the folds. While it doesn’t include a utility hookup, beds or renewable energy generation, it does provide a quick roof over disaster victims heads.

Folding Bamboo House: A simple yet elegant design, the Origami inspired Folding Bamboo House, designed by Ming Tang, was constructed from bamboo and recycled paper which could be cheaply manufactured. Tang designed the geometric folding structure after a 7.9 earthquake hit central China. The structures could be folded into many different shapes, allowing a range of structures to be created. The concept of the bamboo house is basically a series of bamboo poles that are assembled to create a rigid shape. Once the shape of choice has been made it is covered with pre-consumer recycled paper. Not only is this idea environmental friendly and a best example for sustainable, green architecture, but the structure’s design is amazing and would prove a viable alternative to many structures that are supposed to be built. Currently this may appear only as a concept but it is hoped that people may come across many of these being built for the future. As they blend with the landscape affording different styles and dimensions this origami style may be welcomed by all.

Integration of motion into the building/ built Environment: The building practically remaining static, many a times people install building components capable of movement, either in the vertical, horizontal or an inclined plane. Such movable (kinetic) components perform various yet, exclusive functions. They are discussed under the following types:

•  Kinetic systems (electrical) in buildings
• Kinetic systems (using sensors or HMI) in interiors
• Other Kinetic systems in buildings
•  Building components operating on Sensors
•  Intelligent kinetic systems
• Kinetic architecture
•  Responsive architecture
•  Kinetic systems in buildings

    Additional charm to an existing and successful functioning of a multi-storey building warrants easy circulation of traffic both in normal use and during emergencies. For proper appreciation of building design, due care should be given to the type of vertical circulation provided, number of units needed, and their location, arrangement and design. This depends on the purpose of the building on the one hand and if it is residential, especially apartments, the number of floors and blocks to be enfolded, peak hour usage (loads to be carried) in the system. The means of communication between the various floors through HMI or sensors is afforded by various structures such as elevators (lifts) and escalators.

There are certain integral parts within the building that alone are kinetic and are used by people to move around within the building. There are even devices installed to carry things to different stories within the building environment. Some of them are lift, escalator, automated doors, stair lift, dumb waiters etc.

Conveyer belts – large scale industries and airports: Conveyer belts are installed in industries, factories and manufacturing units to transfer raw materials to the places of use and for bringing finished goods to the point of store or transportation. They operate either as manually functional units (controlled by HMI) or as standalone kinetic systems which function on specific aspects like the load applied or so.

Dumb waiters and vertical conveyers: Dumb waiters are usually found in star hotels, textile showrooms, jewellery shops and even departmental stores to transmit goods from one floor to another. They ease the work of the employees from running from one floor to another to deliver goods. Many a times it can be seen as small openings in the delivery counters of many showrooms. Often they are power driven automatic kinetic systems or mechanically operated HMI.

Vertical conveyers are another type which facilitates moving of goods in discrete ways. For instance, an aperture with a small door to throw clothes for laundering in the corridors of each floor of Star hotels is a common sight. There will be a duct with conveyers which carry the soiled clothes straight to the launderette.

Stair – lift: They incorporate a mechanical device fixed with a seat of some sort which runs on the rails attached to the balustrade on one side of the staircase like a monorail track. Elderly or physically challenged commuters can be safely transported to any floor they wish to land on. The seats simply glide up and down the rails as in child’s play. Modern wheelchairs even are designed to glide on these.

• Kinetic systems (using sensors or HMI) in interiors

    Escalators: Escalators are power driven, automatic staircases installed in commercial places for easy commutation of consumers and traders who throng in large numbers. More often they are one – way automated stairs; so there will be one for ascending and another for descending in the same floor. They can easily transfer large crowds from one floor to another. Public places where they expect extensive commutation in the vertical, like railway stations, airports, malls, multi specialty hospitals, expensive hotels/ restaurants, and spaces visited by floating population prefer escalators. Facilitating transfer of a large proportion of commuters, speed of action, novelty, charm – all cumulatively have welcomed this device. Though many escalators are electronically operated, some function on sensors too. This is an added advantage because they also help to conserve energy in the long run.

Elevators or Lifts: Elevators in buildings, especially homes are technology driven devices, operating on electric/ electronic systems and are user friendly. They have become part and parcel of buildings and have no choice in high rise buildings than to have elevators. They have also become mandates in commercial and public places. Recent designs come with programmed functions which make their presence compulsory. They have actually become conveniences than the designated function of being comforts or luxuries in earlier periods. They work mainly on HMI, but there are also sensor driven systems. Nowadays they are custom fabricated to suit individual needs and preferences for materials and operative ease.

Panoramic elevators: Elevators customised with aesthetics, transparency and attracting attention of visitors in all floor corridors are the designated functions for which panoramic elevators are designed. They are available as moving (kinetic) cubicles, giving the commuters a panaromic view of the floors of the building through the transparent, toughened glass enclosure. Hence commuters have access to and exit from only one side. An added charm is the provision of two cubicles, one for ascending and the other for descending, enabling movement of two cubicles side by side overlook over the other elevator while in motion. They are definitely a treat to kids who enjoy vertical motion riding. They also function both on sensor technology and HMI.

Sky Train: The sky train is an urban rapid transit system in many countries. It uses fully automated trains running mostly on elevated tracks (hence the name). Sky train attendants (STAs) are present to provide first aid, directions and customer service, inspect fares, monitor train faults, and operate the trains manually if necessary. They are mostly sensor – driven systems.

• Other Kinetic systems in buildings

Apart from those listed under the previous categories, there also exist certain building components which are kinetic and operable either manually or mechanically. The most important ones are:

• Draw bridges over moat
• Doorways / revolving doors/ partitions (manual or sensor incorporated)
• Movable partitions (manual or sensor incorporated)
• Sliding doors (manual or sensor incorporated)
• · Revolving doors

Building components operating on Sensors

There are a few other building components which are exclusively designed to operate on specific types of sensors and actuators. They are the innovative devices which have become quite trendy in modern houses and buildings too which operate on sensors and or HMI (Human Machine Interfaces like remote controls). The major ones are:

♥   Doorways – automatic, (access controlled entrances) swipe card, biometric, iris, body temperature

♥  Hydraulic parking

♥  Smart / intelligent homes using Intelligent services – fire / burglar alarm, automatic lighting/AC system

♥  Access control devices (using smart cards)

♥     Automatic doors operate with the help of sensors; sensors sense what they are meant for like sound, light, body temperature, iris identification, fingerprints etc. There are different types of sensors and the doors are activated by the specific sensors affixed to it. When they sense motion nearby they trigger the automatic doors to open and then close. Individuals have to come close enough for the sensors to activate and trigger action. That is why a door opens and closes when people pass through at close quarters, if they are fixed with sensors to detect motion or body temperature. The sensors are set to be activated within the range.

♥ Multilevel automatic (hydraulic) parking system (with controllers and visualization): The car park consists of a number of parking rings, each of a certain number of parking places. In the centre of all the rings there is an elevator having an arm. The lift can move on the vertical axis only while the arm can only rotate around the lift axis. A car container is placed at the end of the container arm. Its aim it is to keep the car within it while transporting it to the desired place. The container can open/close only if the container arm is in the extended state. A single place on the 0 level is reserved for so called “get/insert car gate”. The user places his car in the gate and the car is placed in the first free parking place. The user can further request his car; the car will be brought to the same gate. In recent years there are three more such parking systems like Vertical rotary parking, stacking and Car lift systems.

These are also examples for reconfigurable spaces, where the systems used for integration of motion into the building environments are facilities that make individuals use space and mobility in an effective way with the help of technology and advancement in materials. The system here facilitates mechanization rendering physical reconfiguration of the space in such ways as to meet desired needs of parking. The central issues in making these types of systems are human and environmental interaction (the changes) embedded computational infrastructures (intelligence) and the physical control mechanisms (kinetics)

The achievements that can be reached by having intelligent system cover almost all human life aspects of productivity, efficiency, energy saving, environmental conservation, entertainment, delight, and comfort, value for money, social cost benefits, and increase in building life.

• Smart / intelligent homes: “Smart” or “intelligent” homes offer an integrated network entity of all devices both within and outside a building that can be operated using a uniform operation interface enabled to run on multiple optional devices, like a PDA, PC or a TV screen. They afford a complete home networking system exclusively meeting the trendy needs of residents like assured and increases security, not only from burglars but also from potential threats to life and property occurring from leakage of toxic gases, short circuits, faulty wiring etc. These are achieved by installing detection devices (gas, fumes, smoke), intrusion alarm systems, CCTVs for surveillance. While providing all these benefits through sensor controlled devices set in a comprehensive network, they are further designed to enable energy conservation by incorporating for example time delay switches and automatic sensor detectors which turn off lights when the residents closes the front door. Of course smart homes are different from intelligent homes. How?

Incorporation of network devices controlling HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, lighting, home appliance operations, motion and temperature sensors, cameras and virtually everything which is internet enabled and qualify well to be referred to as Internet of Things are significant of smart homes. They are absolutely automated homes. Often many of the devices for instance a light source in the living room may automatically turn on everyday by the strike of 18 .00 hours every day (as the system is set for the said timing), despite availability of ample natural lighting during the time. Here the inmates are forced to use artificial lighting when they actually don’t require one; may be prompt the user to intervene and switch off till light is required.. Contrarily an intelligent home is one where the sensors detect the presence of light and may get activated only after dusk sets in, thereby enabling energy conservation. Therefore in intelligent homes, not only is energy conservation of prime importance but, user intervention is also minimal.

• Intelligent kinetic systems: The intelligent kinetic systems concept qualify that they are architectural spaces and objects that can be re-configured on their own to meet changing physical demands. They employ the trilogy of structural or civil engineering, embedded systems and computations and adaptable building structures or architecture. They are so blended to enable achieving demonstrable efficiency in energy use and retention of environmental quality of buildings. Use of these advanced technologies is expected to render more efficient and affordable combinations where saving of both energy and available space gain priority.

Assignment

Visit places like malls, airports, hypermarkets, showrooms and the like and identify/ study such systems that you find in these places with added understanding of the concepts. You will experience a totally different kind of enjoyment as an informed customer.

• Kinetic architecture: This is a concept where buildings are designed so that significant portions can move while retaining structural integrity. A building’s capability for motion can be used just to enhance it aesthetic qualities – but can also allow it to respond to environmental conditions and to perform functions that would be impossible for a static structure. Practical implementations of kinetic architecture increased sharply in the late 20th century with developments in mechanics, electronics and robotics opening up new architectural possibilities.

     In 1970 architect William Zuk published a book titled ‘Kinetic architecture’ which helped to inspire a new generation of architects to design an increasingly wide range of actual working kinetic buildings. Assisted by new concepts such as Fuller’s tensegrity and by developments in robotics, kinetic buildings have become increasingly common worldwide since the 1980s.

•   Responsive architecture

This form of architecture or building demonstrates an ability to alter its form corresponding to environmental conditions that surrounds it. The term “responsive architecture” was coined by Nicholas Negroponte, who first conceived of it while exploring prospects for applying cybernetics to architecture. Negroponte proposed it as a system that could integrate computing power into built spaces and structures with the objective of rendering buildings with better

performance inputs. His work moved the field of architecture in a technical, functional, and actuated direction.

While a considerable amount of time and effort has been spent on intelligent homes in recent years, the emphasis here has been mainly on developing computerized systems and electronics to adapt the interior of the building or its rooms to the needs of residents. Structures functioning on actuated tensegrity, computerized interpreters and programmable models are still topics of in-depth research.

Summary

No more are buildings just static structures. The concept of dynamics has penetrated this sector too. We have reached a level where buildings too like human beings have started responding to external and internal environments and act accordingly. Hence, mere planning is immaterial, it has to be intelligent planning. While a considerable amount of time and effort has been spent on intelligent homes in recent years, the emphasis here has been mainly on developing computerized systems and electronics to adapt the interior of the building or its rooms to the needs of residents.

Conclusion

Structures functioning on actuated tensegrity, computerized interpreters and programmable models are still topics of in-depth research. Advancements in technology coupled with man’s increase in needs and possible constraints, future will definitely wake up to more kinetic aspects than static structures. That may emerge as an unwritten dictum.