The Bartlett
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ANT

Project details

Programme
Research Cluster RC3

ANT (Amenities Navigation Technology) responds to today’s housing crisis with a logistics-based solution utilising autonomous, distributed robots to reconfigure private and shared interior spaces to negotiate the requirements of inhabitants. Inspired by space stations where all surfaces are utilised and warehouse robotics, the project embeds a continuous system of rails for robots to navigate, distribute, and store spatial elements and furniture across walls, ceilings, and floors in a continuously adaptive building life cycle. A series of robots were designed and evolved via sequential prototypes testing the constraints of the system. The architectural system employs a controlled set of continuous curvatures enabling robots to access all interior surfaces. Robotic agents were trained in a simulator using deep reinforcement learning to learn collaborative space planning policies while navigating the rail system. Cellular automata research was developed exploring neighbourhood relationships to influence the configuration of space in the design process. A spatial assembly algorithm generates continuous building assemblages. An agent-based pedestrian algorithm was developed to simulate the changing building states in relation to dynamic occupancy. Finally, augmented and virtual reality was leveraged in a custom platform allowing people living in the building to interact with and influence their spaces enabling shared space optimisation while considering each user’s unique lifestyle.

01

Project Overview

Project Outline

Project Outline

An outline of the crucial role and functions of ANT.

Concept

Concept

Conceptual animation of the system operation.

Managing the Space Using VR

Illustration of the system management via VR.

View Panorama
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Panorama view

Three-hundred and sixty degree interior view.

Walkthrough

Walkthrough

Exploring the interior.

02

Robotics

Robotic Parts

The basic parts required to make the prototype.

Robotic Assembly

Robotic Assembly

Animation of the parts assembling itself to form the robot.

Demonstration

Demonstration

Navigation of robot from one track to another.

Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement Learning

Training the robot digitally to identify the best navigation route in the building.

Robotic Element Catalogue

Sample set of elements carried by the robot to make the space meaningful.

03

Building Generation

Massing

Massing

Massing based on sunlight analysis.

Spatial Components

These spatial components are used for the generation of the building.

Sequence of Generation

Illustrating the key stages of generation.

Generation Process

Generation Process

A quick overview of the spatial assembly platform.

Preferred Output

Selected output from the plethora outputs generated by the SA platform.

04

Interior Transformation

Voxels Variation and Combination

Example state of dynamic walls in one voxel, combinations of two and three voxels, and the aggregation of voxels based on cube input.

Voxels Adapting to Walking Agents

Voxels Adapting to Walking Agents

The voxels form a route network base on Walking Agents' behaviour and form private spaces in the adjacent areas.

Users' Immigration Simulation process

Users' Immigration Simulation process

Simulating users' occupancy of the floor space base on their preference and the route network adaptive changes.

Testing Pedestrian Simulation Algorithm and Colour Coding Visualisation

Testing Pedestrian Simulation Algorithm and Colour Coding Visualisation

The green colour created by the pedestrian agents indicates the route network, the red colour functioning as attraction points for pedestrian agents, and the blue colour classify the private spaces.

Fully Developed Simulation in an Architectural Scale

Fully Developed Simulation in an Architectural Scale

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The Bartlett
B-Pro Show 2021
30 October – November 13
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