Swarm Materiality: A multi-agent approach to stress driven material organization

This research sets out to introduce and explore a computational tool, thus a methodological framework, for simulating stress driven material growth and organization by employing a multi-agent system based in swarm intelligence algorithms. It consists of an ongoing investigation that underlies the intention for the material system to be perceived as design itself. The algorithm, developed in the programming language Processing, is operating in a bottom-up manner where components and data fl ows are self-organized into design outputs. An evaluation process, via testing on different design cases, is providing a coherent understanding on the system’s capacity to address an acceptable, within the “state-of-the-art” context, solution to material optimization and innovative form-finding. The analysis of the exported data is followed by a possible reconfiguration of the algorithm’s structure and further development by introducing new elements.

This research was presented at eCAADe 2012 proceedings and was part of Mr. Tsiliakos’ UCL AAC Thesis.