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1、READINGCOMPREHENSIONTEXTAWhatifarchitectscouldbuildlivingsystemsratherthanstaticbuildings—dynamicstructuresthatmodifytheirinternalandexternalformsinresponsetochangesintheirenvironment?Thisprovocativeideaismakingwavesinthefieldofarchitecture.Houses,forexample,mightshrinki
2、nthewintertoreducesurfaceareaandvolume,thuscuttingheatingcosts•Theycouldcoverthemselvestoescapetheheatofthesummersunorshakesnowofftheroofinwinter.Skyscraperscouldaltertheiraerodynamicprofiles,swayingslightlytodistribut©increasedloadsduringhurricanes.Suchnresponsivearchit
3、ecturenwoulddependontwosortsoftechnology：controlsystemscapableofdecidingwhattodo,andstructuralcomponentsabletochangethebuilding1sshapeasrequired.Architectshavebeenworkingtoimprovethecontrolsystemsinbuildingsformanyyears,butshape-shiftingtechnologyisatamuchearlierstageofd
4、evelopment•Oneapproachbeingpursuedbyresearchersistoimitatenature•Manynaturalconstructions,includingspiders1websandcellmembranes,aretensegritysystems'1—robuststructuresmadeupofmanyinterconnectedelementswhichcanbemanipulatedtochangeshapewithoutlosingtheirstructuralintegrit
5、y.Thesestructurescanbendandtwist,butnoelementinthestructurebendsandtwists,nsaysRobertSkeltonoftheStructuralSystemsandControlLaboratoryattheUniversityofCaliforniainSanDieqo•nIt1sthearchitectureoflife.nWhileDrSkeltonisworkingonsolvingtheengineeringequationsassociatedwithte
6、nsegritysystems,Tristand1EstreacuteeSterkattheOfficeforRoboticArchitecturalMedia&theBureauforResponsiveArchitecture,anarchitecturalpracticebasedinVancouver,Canada,hasbeguntoconstructprototypesofshape-changing“buildingenvelopes11basedontensegritystructures.Lightweightskel
7、etalframeworks,composedofrodsandwiresandcontrolledbypneumaticnmusclesn,serveasthewallsofabuilding；adjustingtheirconfigurationtochangethebuilding1sshape.Mr.SterkisalsodevelopingtheHbrainnneededtocontrolsuchabuildingbasedoninformationfrominternalandexternalsensors•Carsarea
8、lreadycapableofmonitoringtheirownperformanceandactingwithacertaindegreeofautonomy,fromcruise-controlsys
