Digitally interpreting traditional folk crafts

The cultural heritage preservation requires that objects persist throughout time to continue to communicate an intended meaning. The necessity of computer-based preservation and interpretation of traditional folk crafts is validated by the decreasing number of masters, fading technologies, and crafts losing economic ground. We present a long-term applied research project on the development of a mathematical basis, software tools, and technology for application of desktop or personal fabrication using compact, cheap, and environmentally friendly fabrication devices, including '3D printers', in traditional crafts. We illustrate the properties of this new modeling and fabrication system using several case studies involving the digital capture of traditional objects and craft patterns, which we also reuse in modern designs. The test application areas for the development are traditional crafts from different cultural backgrounds, namely Japanese lacquer ware and Norwegian carvings. Our project includes modeling existing artifacts, Web presentations of the models, automation of the models fabrication, and the experimental manufacturing of new designs and forms

Procedural function-based spatial microstructures

We propose a new approach to modelling heterogeneous objects containing internal spatial geometric structures with size of details orders of magnitude smaller than the overall size of the object. The proposed function-based procedural representation provides a compact, precise, and arbitrarily parameterized model allowing for modelling coherent microstructures, which can undergo blending, offsetting, deformations, and other geometric operations, and can be directly rendered and fabricated without generating any auxiliary representations. In particular, modelling of regular lattices and porous media is discussed and illustrated. Examples of microstructure models rendering and fabrication using a variety of digital fabrication machines and materials are presented

How to build a biological machine using engineering materials and methods

We present work in 3D printing electric motors from basic materials as the key to building a self-replicating machine to colonise the Moon. First, we explore the nature of the biological realm to ascertain its essence, particularly in relation to the origin of life when the inanimate became animate. We take an expansive view of this to ascertain parallels between the biological and the manufactured worlds. Life must have emerged from the available raw material on Earth and, similarly, a self-replicating machine must exploit and leverage the available resources on the Moon. We then examine these lessons to explore the construction of a self-replicating machine using a universal constructor. It is through the universal constructor that the actuator emerges as critical. We propose that 3D printing constitutes an analogue of the biological ribosome and that 3D printing may constitute a universal construction mechanism. Following a description of our progress in 3D printing motors, we suggest that this engineering effort can inform biology, that motors are a key facet of living organisms and illustrate the importance of motors in biology viewed from the perspective of engineering (in the Feynman spirit of "what I cannot create, I cannot understand")

Fostering natural world engagements: Design lessons & issues from, the My Naturewatch training programme

Nature's welfare is inter-twinned with humankinds’, requiring mass citizen-led action. Wildlife advocate Attenborough says, ‘we share responsibility for the future of life on earth, [we all have] the power to change’. The My Naturewatch project (NW) follows research through design approaches: deploying DIY devices, supporting new engagement methods between nature, technology and humans. The NW cameras assist participants in capturing images of ‘back garden’ wildlife. Authors position NW cameras as agent(s), enabling ‘designed engagement(s)’ establishing; agency, serendipity and impact. The article recounts a ‘Training Scheme’, providing nature organisation(s) methods to foster public engagement through DIY, accessible digital technologies. The scheme encouraged appropriation; suiting contextual, environmental and organisational requirements. Authors unpick experiences and issues, realised (through practice) by fourteen nationally acclaimed wildlife and conservation organisations, independently running workshops with NW tools. Findings report on issues and opportunities of; designed community engagement(s) for practitioners engaged with defining more sustainable practices

The investigation of a method to generate conformal lattice structures for additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) allows a geometric complexity in products not seen in conventional manufacturing. This geometric freedom facilitates the design and fabrication of conformal hierarchical structures. Entire parts or regions of a part can be populated with lattice structure, designed to exhibit properties that differ from the solid material used in fabrication. Current computer aided design (CAD) software used to design products is not suitable for the generation of lattice structure models. Although conceptually simple, the memory requirements to store a virtual CAD model of a lattice structure are prohibitively high. Conventional CAD software defines geometry through boundary representation (B-rep); shapes are described by the connectivity of faces, edges and vertices. While useful for representing accurate models of complex shape, the sheer quantity of individual surfaces required to represent each of the relatively simple individual struts that comprise a lattice structure ensure that memory limitations are soon reached. Additionally, the conventional data flow from CAD to manufactured part is arduous, involving several conversions between file formats. As well as a lengthy process, each conversion risks the generation of geometric errors that must be fixed before manufacture. A method was developed to specifically generate large arrays of lattice structures, based on a general voxel modelling method identified in the literature review. The method is much less sensitive to geometric complexity than conventional methods and thus facilitates the design of considerably more complex structures. The ability to grade structure designs across regions of a part (termed functional grading ) was also investigated, as well as a method to retain connectivity between boundary struts of a conformal structure. In addition, the method streamlines the data flow from design to manufacture: earlier steps of the data conversion process are bypassed entirely. The effect of the modelling method on surface roughness of parts produced was investigated, as voxel models define boundaries with discrete, stepped blocks. It was concluded that the effect of this stepping on surface roughness was minimal. This thesis concludes with suggestions for further work to improve the efficiency, capability and usability of the conformal structure method developed in this work

Additive manufacturing of PCL 3D scaffolds

Orientadores: Rubens Maciel Filho, Jorge Vicente Lopes da SilvaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia QuímicaResumo: Em decorrência da grande demanda de transplantes de órgãos e tecidos no Brasil, ha estímulos para criação de terapias alternativas como o desenvolvimento de substitutos biológicos temporários, isto e, scaffolds, através da Bioengenharia e Engenharia Tecidual, descartando a necessidade de doadores. Neste trabalho, foi utilizado o polímero policaprolactona (PCL) para estruturar scaffolds 3D por meio da plataforma experimental de manufatura aditiva Fab@CTI, a qual apresenta um cabeçote de extrusão intercambiável construído para entrada de material em forma de filamento. Uma nova proposta de orientação de raster foi criada para o design dos scaffolds. Foram estruturados scaffolds com raster regular e randômico com poros de 0.25, 0.5 e 1 mm. Analises de Difração de raios-x (DRX), Calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC) e Espectroscopia de absorção no infravermelho com transformada em Fourier (FTIR) foram realizadas para verificar possíveis mudanças nas propriedades térmicas do material durante o processamento. Microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) foi feita para checar a morfologia dos scaffolds e medir o diâmetro dos filamentos extrudados na Fab@CTI alem do espaçamento entre eles. Também foram realizadas analises de citotoxicidade e viabilidade celular com células tronco mesenquimais de tecido adiposo. Ainda, utilizando o software modeFRONTIER, foi feita uma simulação de valores de modulo de compressão do PCL possíveis de serem obtidos. Os resultados de DRX e FTIR não mostraram degradação do PCL e o DSC revelou algumas alterações no ponto de fusão e diminuição da cristalinidade. Os scaffolds não se mostraram tóxicos e os modelos com poros de 0.25 mm e raster regular e randômico foram os que apresentaram viabilidade celularAbstract: Due to the demand for organs and tissues transplants in Brazil, is indeed the creation of new therapies as the development of temporary biological substitutes, ie, scaffolds, through Bioengineering and Tissue Engineering, discarding the require for donors. In this work, we used the polymer polycaprolactone (PCL) to structure 3D scaffolds by the additive manufacturing experimental platform, Fab@CTI, which presents an interchangeable extrusion head build to filaments materials input. A new proposal for random raster was presented to design the scaffolds. Were structured scaffolds with regular and random raster and pores of 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mm. Analysis of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTIR) were conducted to check for possible changes in thermal properties of the material during the processing. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was done to check the morphology of scaffolds and measure the diameter of filaments extruded at Fab@CTI beyond the distance between them. Analyses of cytotoxicity and cell viability with mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue were also performed. In addition, using the software modeFRONTIER, a simulation of compressive modulus of PCL was done with values possible to obtain. The result of the XRD and FTIR showed no degradation of PCL and DSC revealed some changes in melting point and decrease of crystallinity. The scaffolds were not toxic and models of 0.25 mm pores and both regular and random raster showed cell viabilityMestradoDesenvolvimento de Processos QuímicosMestre em Engenharia Químic

Toyetic tooling: 3D printing and convergent media platforms

This research addresses convergence of 3D printing with digital games and media products and outlines opportunities for development in production of media related goods including toys and merchandise. It does this principally through a field study involving participatory access to MakieLab, a start-up using 3D printing in the production of user-generated, 3D printable toys directly related to game content. This study incorporates participant observation, a survey of prospective consumers and a netnography of online 3D printing repositories. The netnography investigates user interactions with media content enabled by 3D printing and finds emerging forms of fan-production and a related economy of fan-produced, 3D printable goods. Here the research contributes to gaps in understanding of what people are making with 3D printing, providing insights into what media products people reference, what they make and why. Noting the legally ambiguous status of fan activity and research momentum aimed at creating legislative responses to inhibit such activity this research presents MakieLab as an example of a market based alternative. The research describes MakieLab as a convergent media platform and documents how MakieLab designed products and platforms to facilitate fan production and to co-opting or commodotise fan production. This research contributes understanding of how 3D printing may provide new revenue streams for media producers and facilitate engagement between firm and consumer. The research finds in conclusion that 3D printing in conjunction with automated translation of game, film or animation content to user editable and 3D printable formats has potential to alter relationships between media firm and consumer. In doing so it identifies a role for 3D printing in transmedia, implications for evaluations of toyetic or merchandise potential, potential for between-media interactivity, in-media merchandising and development of convergent media platforms, commodification of fan art as well as commodification of creative making experiences. The research concomitantly considers implications for stakeholders involved in production of media related toys and merchandise indicating that convergent media platforms are likely to have significant impact for media producers

Incorporating self-assembly into robocasting for applications in hard tissue engineering

High cost coupled with limited supply of hard tissue substitutes make necessary the development of synthetic biomaterials, as well as economical and reproducible manufacturing techniques that can be easily scaled up. Multiple and often conflicting requirements have so far impeded the application of polymer/ceramic composites in large load-bearing defects. Although porosity is a crucial biological requirement, it has a detrimental effect on their mechanical performance. This thesis emphasizes upon methods for structuring bioceramic materials at different orders of magnitude - termed structural hierarchy. In bones, this constitutes the main mechanism contributing to their remarkable strength and fracture resistance. This can be achieved through combining AM with physical processes that cause the material to self-assemble into various configurations during or following its deposition. The first part of this research explores the potential of Low-Temperature Deposition Modelling (LDM) in fabricating scaffolds with tailorable bimodal porosity. More specifically, LDM is treated as a hybrid technique, in which robocasting is combined with freezing-induced self-assembly. For the purposes of this study, a highly versatile and economical print-head was fabricated that can be operated at ambient temperatures down to -20oC. In addition, a highly thixotropic β-TCP paste formulation of high water content (80% v/v) was developed that takes advantage of a synergy existing between Sodium Alginate and Xanthan Gum. The findings suggest that chamber temperature and water content have the most marked effect on pore morphology. Ordered micro-architectures comprising lamellar pores with a high degree of alignment were obtained at low freezing rates (-5oC). Most importantly, this research evidences for the first time that their direction is not only dictated by toolpath geometry, but also by the ice structure in preceding layers (epitaxy). The second part of this thesis demonstrates the combination of robocasting with a heating process to produce planar hollow-tube lattices that can be manipulated into various configurations. This technique makes use of a novel Sodium Alginate-based β-TCP slurry reinforced with cellulose nano-fibrils. When heated rapidly, it forms hollow-shell structures, which can be cross-linked in Ca2+-rich solutions to produce flexible yet strong particle-reinforced gels. Optimal results were achieved at 3 and 4% w/w alginate content, where the paste’s loss tangent reaches its maximum value. This research demonstrates that such combinational approaches to AM can successfully produce hard tissue substitutes that exhibit multiple levels of structural hierarchy. This constitutes a first step towards achieving biomimetic bone scaffolds with superior mechanical performance

Never Too Old To Learn: On-line Evolution of Controllers in Swarm- and Modular Robotics

Eiben, A.E. [Promotor