With research institutions from various private, government and academic sectors performing research into autonomous vehicle deployment strategies, the way we think about vehicles must adapt. But what happens when the driver, the main conduit of information transaction between the vehicle and its surroundings, is removed? The living EV system aims to fill this communication void by giving the autonomous vehicle the means to sense others around it, and react to various stimuli in as intuitive ways as possible by taking design cues from the living world. The system is comprised of various types of sensors (computer vision, UWB beacon tracking, sonar) and actuators (light, sound, mechanical) in order to express recognition of others, announcement of intentions, and portraying the vehicle’s general state. All systems are built on the 2nd version of the 1/2 –scale CityCar concept vehicle, featuring advanced mixed-materials (CFRP + Aluminum) and a significantly more modularized architecture.

The CityCar is a foldable, electric, sharable, two-passenger vehicle for crowded cities. Wheel Robots—fully modular in-wheel electric motors—integrate drive motors, suspension, braking, and steering inside the hub-space of the wheel. This drive-by-wire system requires only data, power, and mechanical connection to the chassis. With over 80 degrees of steering freedom, Wheel Robots enable a zero-turn radius; they also enable the CityCar to fold by eliminating the gasoline-powered engine and drive-train. We are working with Denokinn on an integrated, modular system for assembly and distribution of the CityCar. This project, based in the Basque region of Spain, will be called the "Hiriko" Project, which stands for Urban Car. The Hiriko project aims to create a new, distributed manufacturing system for the CityCar which will enable automotive suppliers to provide "core" components made of integrated modules such as in-wheel motor units, battery systems, interiors, vehicle control systems, vehicle chassis/exoskeleton, and glazing.

The CityCar folding chassis is a half-scale working prototype that consists of four independently controlled in-wheel electric motors, four-bar linkage mechanism for folding, aluminum exoskeleton, operable front ingress/egress doors, lithium-nanophosphate battery packs, vehicle controls, and a storage compartment. The folding chassis can demonstrate compact folding (3:1 ratio compared to conventional vehicles), omni-directional driving, and wireless remote controls. The half-scale mock-up explores the material character and potential manufacturing strategies that will scale to a future full-scale build. (Continuing the vision of William J. Mitchell.)

The CityCar Ingress-Egress Model provides a full-scale platform for testing front ingress and egress for new vehicle types. The platform features three levels of actuation for controlling the movement of seats within a folding vehicle, and can store custom presets of seat positioning and folding process for different users.

We demonstrate how the CityHome, which has a very small footprint (840 square feet), can function as an apartment two to three times that size. This is achieved through a transformable wall system which integrates furniture, storage, exercise equipment, lighting, office equipment, and entertainment systems. One potential scenario for the CityHome is where the bedroom transforms to a home gym, the living room to a dinner party space for 14 people, a suite for four guests, two separate office spaces plus a meeting space, or an a open loft space for a large party. Finally, the kitchen can either be open to the living space, or closed off to be used as a catering kitchen. Each occupant engages in a process to personalize the precise design of the wall units according to his or her unique activities and requirements.

We propose a recognition system with a user-centric point of view, designed to make the activity detection processes intelligible to the end-user of the home, and to permit these users to improve recognition and customize activity models based on their particular habits and behaviors. Our system, named Distinguish, relies on high-level, common sense information to create activity models used in recognition. These models are understandable by end-users and transferable between homes. Distinguish consists of a common-sense recognition engine that can be modified by end-users using a novel phone interface.

We are developing an interactive farming module that serves as a platform for closing the loop between people and food. The structure will function as a scalable, modular system augmented by technology such as monitoring sensors, robotic components, and energy capture devices to facilitate ease and a deeper understanding of the process through which hydroponic vegetables are grown. A database and monitoring network is set up to determine growing needs and profiles of plant species in order to provide real-time feedback information in assisting with plant care. A prototype is being developed for deployment within the Boston public school system. Curricula will be proposed to aid students in monitoring the system through constructivist learning principles, aiding the implementation of STEM research in schools. By bringing farming to urban areas, we will short-circuit the opacity of large-scale agriculture and create a feedback cycle for healthier, sustainable living.

The home is becoming a center for preventative health care, energy production, distributed work, and new forms of learning, entertainment, and communication. We are developing techniques for capturing and encoding concepts related to human needs, activities, values, and practices. We are investigating solutions built from an expanding set of building blocks, or “genes,” which can be combined and recombined in various ways to create a unique assembly of spaces and systems. We are developing algorithms to match individuals to design solutions in a process analogous to that used to match customer profiles to music, movies, and books, as well as new fabrication and supply-chain technologies for efficient production. We are exploring how to tap the collective intelligence of distributed groups of people and companies to create an expanding set of solutions.

The housing, mobility, and health needs of the elderly are diverse, but current products and services are generic, disconnected from context, difficult to access without specialized guidance, and do not anticipate changing life circumstances. We are creating a platform for delivering integrated, personalized solutions to help aging individuals remain healthy, autonomous, productive, and engaged. We are developing new ways to assess specific individual needs and create mass-customized solutions. We are also developing new systems and standards for construction that will enable the delivery of more responsive homes, products, and services; these standards will make possible cost-effective but sophisticated, interoperable building components and systems. For instance, daylighting controls will be coordinated with reconfigurable rooms and will accommodate glare sensitivity. These construction standards will enable industrial suppliers to easily upgrade and retrofit homes to better care for home occupants as their needs change over time.

MITes (MIT environmental sensors) are low-cost, wireless devices for collecting data about human behavior and the state of the environment. Nine versions of MITes have now been developed, including MITes for people movement (3-axis accelerometers), object movement (2-axis accelerometers), temperature, light levels, indoor location, ultra-violet light exposure, heart rate, haptic output, and electrical current flow. MITes are being deployed to study human behavior in natural setting. We are also developing activity recognition algorithms using MITes data for health and energy applications. (a House_n Research Consortium Initiative funded by the National Science Foundation)

We are exploring the use of parametric design tools and CNC fabrication technology to enable lay people to navigate through a complex furniture and cabinetry design process for office and residential applications. We are also exploring the integration of sensors, lighting, and actuators into furniture to create objects that are responsive to human activity.

The PlaceLab was a highly instrumented, apartment-scale, shared research facility where new technologies and design concepts were tested and evaluated in the context of everyday living. It was used by researchers until 2008 to collect fine-grained human behavior and environmental data, and to systematically test and evaluate strategies and technologies for the home in a natural setting with volunteer occupants. BoxLab is a portable version with many of the data collection capabilities of PlaceLab. BoxLab can be deployed in any home or workplace. (A House_n Research Consortium project funded by the National Science Foundation.)

The mechanical components that make driving a vehicle possible (acceleration, braking, steering, springing) are located inside the space of the wheel, forming independent wheel robots and freeing the vehicular space of these components. Connected to the chassis are simple mechanical, power, and data connections, allowing for the wheel robots to plug in to a vehicle simply and quickly. A CPU in the vehicle provides the input necessary for driving according to the vehicle's dimensions or loading condition. The design of the wheel robots provides optimal contact patch placement, lower unsprung and rotational mass, omnidirectional steering, great space savings, and modularity, as the wheel robots can function appropriately on vehicles of different dimensions and weight. By "putting the whole car in the wheel," it is possible to separate production, service, and life-cycles of the mechanical components of the car from those of its architectural components. (Continuing the vision of William J. Mitchell.)