Think about you wish to iterate on a shock-absorbing construction design in plastic. You may design one thing in CAD, print it, then check it on a rig. You’ll then notice down your measurements, and repeat the method once more. However what if a robotic might do all that as a substitute, and do it for years on finish? That’s exactly what’s been occurring at Boston College.
Contained in the School of Engineering, a robotic system has been working to optimize a form to raised soak up power. The system first 3D prints a form, and shops a document of its form and dimension. The form is then crushed with a small press whereas the system measures how a lot power it took to compress. The crushed object is then discarded, and the robotic iterates a brand new design and begins once more.
The experiment has been occurring for 3 years constantly at this level. The MAMA BEAR robotic has examined over 25,000 3D prints, which now fill dozens of packing containers. It’s not frivolous, both. In accordance with engineer Keith Brown, the previous document for a energy-absorbing construction was 71% effectivity. The robotic developed a construction with 75% effectivity in January 2023, in response to his analysis paper.
Who wants people when the robots are doing the science on their very own? Video after the break.
[Thanks to Frans for the tip!]
