Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Last revisionBoth sides next revision
machine_ecology_designnotes [2015-11-26 15:49] theunkarelsemachine_ecology_designnotes [2015-11-26 15:53] theunkarelse
Line 60: Line 60:
 fuel and rebuild the creature, allowing it to replicate independently to fuel and rebuild the creature, allowing it to replicate independently to
 collect plastic over a broader area.\\ collect plastic over a broader area.\\
 +
 +=== Ivan's Team ===
 +
 +Christos Melidis:\\
 +
 +Our creature was made to inhabit the Falmouth estuary near Penryn, an area surrounded mostly by farmland. The use of fertilisers in the fields effect’s the chemical stability of the estuary's ecology, injecting an excess of nitrogens in the water. Our creature exploits this nitrogen cycle, together with the microbial cycle already present on the base of the estuary, as exposed during the tide. Feeding on both, the creature stays transparent to the existing ecology, while working towards local environmental stability. Being a machine by make, both food sources provide it with energy. This energy is stored in internal batteries; just as fat would in humans. During the tide times the creature resting on river floor, recharges the batteries getting ready for nitrate exploration on the high tide. Floating on the surface of the river, it haunts for nitrate trails with its tentacle like receptors on the front part of its body. Once found they trigger a metabolistic procedure, producing locomotion. The robot stays in the trail feeding on it, signaling its location and source, attracting the rest of its kind to the food source. The plethora of actions performed by the creature can be captured by the notions of locomotion, self organisation, embodied intelligence (exploiting the features of its morphology), water filtering, pollution signaling, collective behaviour and collective/ swarm intelligence.\\
 +
 +Justin Marshall:\\
 +
 +Our creature (the 'Nitrate Mullet'?) was developed to live in tidal estuaries and to seek out sources of nitrate pollution washing into the estuary from the surrounding land.   It converts this agricultural fertiliser, which is harmful in aquatic contexts, into energy to power itself while simultaneously neutralising its harmful effects.  It also gains electrical power through exploiting the properties of the saline estuarine mud in which it sits. Using its sets of feet as multiple anodes and cathodes it draws small amounts of power over long periods of ‘resting’, storing it in batteries that will drive propulsions units, ready to move when ‘sniffs’ a trance of nitrate.  These self sustaining small creature’s principle role are to be indicators of pollution, rather than as a ‘cleaning’ solution.  Over time (they do not move quickly) these creatures will navigate themselves, following their food source, to sites where nitrates are most concentrated. So like grey mullet around sewage outflows, when you see ‘bloom’ of Nitrate Mullets you know there is an issue that needs addressing.\\
 +
 +=== Judith's Team ===
 +
 +Our team explored the tidal zone in sound and vision. We contemplated interpecies communication and how the 'thing' could facilitate interspecies communication actively or passively, and liked the idea of a sponge; a rather passive thing that can absorb and release.
 +The 'intervention' eventually created by our team is designed as an interface to facilitate cross species communication. In this case to connect aquatic life (hydrosphere) to land dwellers (atmosphere). An interface, a term now mostly associated with human-computer interaction, can be defined as: the surface forming a common boundary between adjacent regions, substances, or phases; or: a point at which independent systems or diverse groups interact.\\
 +
 +Our interface is envisioned as a sponge-like creature that floats on the water. Under water it attracts and guides soundwaves into sponge cavities, from sounds made by small sea creatures. The pressure that thereby builds up pushes the water up through its channels,  forming bubbles at the atmospheric side. The floating sponges create a visual bubble pattern that can be observed by diverse land dwellers and flying creatures from large distances, giving an idea of the under water orchestra.\\
  
  • machine_ecology_designnotes.txt
  • Last modified: 2015-11-26 15:57
  • by theunkarelse