27/04/2026
𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲, 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
IEEE
HKUST Division of Integrative Systems & Design
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚
𝗯𝘆 𝗦.𝗚 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗕.𝗟𝗮𝘂, 𝗠.𝗖. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻, 𝗗. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻, 𝗘.𝗟. 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗶𝘃𝘀𝗸𝗶 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥.𝗕.𝗡. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗳𝗳
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Year: 2026
Medium: Multi-material PolyJet 3D prints, pneumatic actuation, interactive sensors,
microcontroller-based control system
THE BREATH OF A GRACE explores the tension between human presence and natural fragility through a constellation of soft robotic sculptures inspired by alveoli and blossoming flowers. Each “Grace” subtly breathes, contracts, or expands in response to local stimuli—sound, motion, and proximity—translating environmental agitation into movement. This dynamic behavior mirrors how human activity perturbs equilibrium within natural systems.
The sculptures are based on the GRACE geometry (De Pascali et al., 2022), a pleated membrane actuator capable
of reversible deformation driven purely by geometry. By reinterpreting and parametrizing this design in Grasshopper, we explore form and behavior as continuous variables,
blending mathematical precision with organic vitality.
The installation ultimately invites reflection on “softness” not as weakness, but as an adaptive, mediating force between technology, humanity, and nature.
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arttech
