Bike Nuggets

The user-friendly mixed reality [MR] design system components consist of steel rods, a hand-operated rod bender, and a Microsoft Hololens with a Fologram subscription. Fologram essentially pairs Rhino and Grasshopper with the Hololens and phones for live augmented reality [AR] interactivity.

The iterative design process begins with geometry modeled in Rhino defined by a grasshopper script. Once the base geometry is derived, we are able to make edits and refine the model through MR using the Hololens. The edits are made through defined gestures in grasshopper.

The primary fabrication techniques entail hand bending 1/4” diameter steel rods, rebar bending 5/8” diameter steel rods, and conduit bending

schedule-40 conduit into complex elements. This is done through Fologram which displays digitally modeled geometry through Hololens. The AR interface allows the user to line up and bend the steel rod to the designed radius. This step is repeated until the member has all of the required bends. The members are then assembled into a larger spatial framework using AR displays to guide their proper placement in space.

This holistic approach was originally used to design a “Floating Gallery” which frames artwork in AR. By walking around the steel framework, the user can discover art framed in the truncated pyramids hidden through the occlusion. This system was then implemented to design an armature for bikes on campus--the “Bike Nugget Armature.”