Process: 

Describe how you arrived out the outcome. What iterations, refinements, design decisions and changes were made? Who did what?

The initial idea had to do with an inflatable biome from which a robotic arm with many tools for tending performs all the functions of the human hand. We then redefined our mission objectives and the scope of the project to reflect a bottom-up, hands-off approach: inflatable topography. Some analogies for this system we explored included veins and arteries, and root systems. 

And vessels and chambers. We also tied the shape of our biome to solar collection potentials, as well as plant containers, soil mixing, and water distribution.

A concept sketch of these pockets we’re calling inflatable chamber modules.

Following the initial brainstorming, a prototype in its “final form” was made to give a better visual idea of what we were working with.

Then came many smaller experiments. They had to do with different material properties.

And forces or seams imposed on them to create different shapes.

And sizes, folds, and strengths.

Our latest iteration and exploration attempted to add a structural component to the chambers, to allow control over the inflating and deflating, and the consequent shape of the inflated module. We strove for our unit to be a shape that is compact when scaled up and expanded upon.