Diginoid Digital Manufacturing
INVESTIGATORS: A. Scott Howe (PI), Richard Seewhy Lee, graduate student (Co-I).
FUNDING: Supported by Hong Kong University.
PERIOD: 2003.
ABSTRACT: The Diginoid is a work station desk manufactured entirely using digital means. The project was initiated under the constraints that only sheet stock can be used for raw materials, and only manufacturing processes run by numerical control can be used to construct it. Graduate students were then asked to use these constraints to design modular kit-of-parts office furniture.
The Diginoid workstation shape was first conceived in studio as a curved private space for computer placement and private desk. Later the final shape was derived from a perfect oblated ellipsoid that could conceptually be filled out by attaching four workstations together and connecting them at the corner. The workstation unit expresses its flexibility by functioning as both private workspace and horizontal overhead lighting / support frame bridging across two vertical units (see illustration below). These pairs of workstations can then be closed by a projection screen between them, to begin to express a work cluster or media presentation center.
Metal parts were digitally produced by NC punch and laser cutter, fabric membrane was produced using digital sail making equipment, and clear tables produced using laser cutter.
Extended designs called for embedded photovoltaic membranes incorporated into the fabric of the workstation walls.
J. Close; K.H. Lam; H. Pang; A.S. Howe (2004). Application of Advanced Thin-film PV for Kit-of-parts Temporary & Disaster Relief Structures. Proceedings of the 14th International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference. 26-30 January 2004. Bangkok, Thailand.
A.S. Howe; P. Kang; O. Nasari (2003). Digiosk: Digital Design to Robotic Deployment in Two Months. Proceedings of Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA2003). 18-20 October 2003, Rangsit, Thailand.