BLOOM : A smart, shape-shifting textile surface for acoustic modulation

BLOOM regulates acoustic issues in large spaces by opening and closing a knitted surface to provide just the right amount of sound attenuation. The project was conceived as a kinetic cloud that can be folded as simply as origami paper, by using technical knits, coded movement, and small modular components. Because BLOOM is sensitive to sound, it can interact and behave intuitively, opening and closing to create a responsive environment.
The fibers that are used in BLOOM’s technical knits have a fluffy, hollow structure, with desirable properties for absorbing sound. Thus, when the surface opens, it absorbs sound waves and prevents direct reflection of noise. When reverberant sound is desirable, the surface closes to allow increased reflection around a space. The geometry of the knitted origami surface is based on pedesis, wherein slightly dissimilar triangular shapes repeat in an aperiodic manner, thus absorbing a broad range of sound frequencies.