SENTIENCE

Smart Materials  Morphing Structures   Computational Design  Digital Fabrication


 
Fig. 1 & 2: Morphing Canopy with NiTi hinges for Forest canopy gap mitigation (Structure self-designed, Environment imagined using Google Gemini), Fig. 3: Heat-Resistant PLA & NiTi (Joinery staples) Canopy segment, Fig. 4 & 5: Post wildfire seeder made out of SMP (Structure self-designed, Environment imagined using Google Gemini), Fig. 6 & 7: Aquatic Debris Collector made out of wood veneer and SMP (Structure self-designed, Environment imagined using Google Gemini), Fig. 8: Accordion Morphing Mechanism Exploration, Fig. 9: SMP Structure/Joinery explorations


Sentience is a series of actuating surface prototypes that integrate Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs) & Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) as primary joinery elements within augmented material assemblies. The project investigates surfaces designed to move and respond to ambient thermal conditions, drawing on smart material actuation research to identify application opportunities and situate morphing structures across micro-to-macro scales.

Phase I (Fig. 1-9): A series of site-specific 3D-printed assemblies utilizing Shape Memory Polymers (SMP) and Nitinol-based Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) were developed and deployed across three distinct ecological contexts — riparian environments, forested landscapes, and wildfire-prone ecosystems — to investigate the application of stimulus-responsive morphing behavior in environmental remediation and ecological control strategies.

Fig. 1 & 2 illustrate a biomimetic forest canopy system capable of actuating between open and closed configurations in response to ambient solar irradiance, thereby modulating light transmission to support the recovery and sustenance of native understory plant species in areas experiencing progressive canopy gap degradation.

Fig. 4 & 5 present a post-wildfire seed dispersal component that employs a soft-robotic structural body programmed to autonomously perform soil-penetration through peristaltic or helical actuation, enabling targeted reseeding in fire-affected terrain.

Fig. 6 & 7 demonstrate a buoyant aquatic debris collection system that exploits differential thermal actuation — driven by fluctuating water and air temperature gradients — to perform cyclical filtration movements, facilitating the passive removal of surface debris from water bodies.




Fig. 10: Prototype I—Surface Swelling, Fig. 11: Real-time Observation of Swelling-driven Actuation Behavior, Fig. 12: Component-level Actuation, Fig. 13: Assembly Process Documentation, Fig. 14: Morphological Form Study and Geometric Exploration

Phase II (WiP): Prototypes leverage the mechanical behaviors of bending and twisting through precise SMA calibration to thermally induced states. The final outcome comprises actuating surfaces, each selected for its geometry-driven actuation & engagement with multiple fabrication methods.


Acknowledgement: This is a work-in-progress Thesis for the Master's in Industrial Design program at the Rhode Island School of Design and is supported by RISD ID Department's Marc Harrison Fund & Graduate Commons Grant Fellowship.