An interspecies interface between mankind and moss.
Landscape Architecture / Dynamic Landforms
Design Engineer
About
Using the natural properties of moss as a bioindicator of air and water toxins, connected landforms are designed and tested for landscape remediation. Acting as a fleet of biosensors, they are strategically embedded into regions known for extreme water changes in the form of floods, drought, and wildfire. As the moss collects data from nature and the landform collects data from moss, an interface communicates the health of a landscape for human intervention.
This project builds on data modeling methods developed in previous projects. The system scope is widened to test the development of a conceptual data model through a speculative software application.
Data Model Methodology Development v1: Technical Data Governance Model
Origo defined a data model for all data models, establishing the minimum viable metadata about data used in an application needed for real-time governance. Origin, ownership, cadence, etc. are enumerated for traceability, while sources are defined to help structure a multi-stakeholder point of view for ranking.
Methods
Data Model Methodology Development v2: Logical Device Data Model
Virtual Devices defined a taxonomy for defining data coming off a heterogenous set of connected devices needed for manufacturing.
Data Model Methodology Development v3: Conceptual IoT Data Model
Expanding on this paper on IoT taxonomy with the ones previously developed, Moss speculates on a future of IoT-driven more-than-human platforms grounded in existing research across practice and academia..
Methods
02
Virtual Landscape Data
Houdini was used as a data mining environment. Landscapes were imported from public sources.
Landscape Water Erosion Simulation and Analysis
Erosion simulations were performed on a region of data in Houdini and analyzed for landscape changes.
Virtual Landscape Data
Land Intervention Water Erosion Simulation and Analysis
Using the most basic of forms, the rectangle, I parametrically placed landscape interventions to understand the physical and aesthetic possibilities of water erosion.
Virtual Landscape Data
Design Iterations
I wanted a simple shape that could direct water if modularized and scaled in n dimensions.
03
Logical Land Cell Design
Several land cells were developed in Rhino . One was selected and 3D-printed.
Logical Land Cell Design
Logical Land Cell Design
04
Physical Landscape Simulation Data
After the print, I installed and tested the land cell on a geomorphology table. A Kinect-to-Grasshopper plug-in recorded the data.
Single Cell Testing
I installed the land cell roughly 1/3rd the way down the geomorphology table. I was pleased to see rather clear visualizations of the Navier-Stokes equation to describe a motion of a fluid in space. There were also indications that my landcell were able to direct erosions over time.
Physical Landscape Simulation Data
Multicell Testing
I installed multiple land cells incrementally to test the modular design. Land cells that were placed closer together would control the routing of water more successfully. The internal channels only re-routed water if the flow rate was not so high. In the videos above, the geomorphology table was tilted to a strong degree, increasing flow rate, which is why the land cell channels did little to route water, and the water flowed around the land cells instead.
Physical Landscape Simulation Data
Virtual Landcell
Describes how the virtual land cell connects to thhe simulated environment
Physical Landcell
Describes how the virtual land cell connects to the simulated environment.
05
Cybernetic Data Model
Throughout the development of the project, a data model was developed to enable moss as a bioindicator of a cybernetic system.
Moss Bioindicator
Moss would be implanted on the physical land cell equipped with sensing technology.
