Hyperganic's mission is to move the world of additive manufacturing (AM) to the next level. I worked in a team building a software ecosystem to enable the design and production of 3D printed objects. The Hyperganic software ecosystem uses procedural modelling and voxel-based graphics to generate both highly complex geometries and mass-customisation products that are then directly exported to 3D printing control code.
In my role as Design Engineer, I communicated the benefits of Hyperganic’s technology to customers by using the software to design and manufacture eye-catching demonstration objects.
Project One: Mass-Customised Racing Bicycle Helmet
I created a design workflow that utilised the input of the cyclist’s scanned head model and statistical crash data to generate a mass-customisation bicycle helmet with a bespoke fit to the cyclist’s head.
This Engineering Master’s Thesis, conducted with partner company Hyperganic Technologies A.G. (Hyperganic), involved the software development of the Feather-Wing 3D model.
Feather-Wing is a concept design for a biomimetic aircraft wing. The wing’s geometry is coded using Hyperganic’s generative design software with the aim of being manufactured by 3D printing. The project supports Hyperganic’s mission to create a 3D modelling software optimised for Additive Manufacturing (AM) workflows, enabling customers to maximise the fabrication benefits of their 3D printers.
Feather-Wing demonstrated the ability of Hyperganic’s 3D modelling software to support the design, and export to 3D printing control code, of high geometric complexity models.
The Feather-Wing project exhibited at the Design Engineering online Summer Show in July 2020.
Click here to see a video of the adaptive design workflow.
Centuries of biomimetic study of how birds wings enable flight, from Otto Lilienthal’s sustained flight with a glider (1890) to the airfoil profiles of modern long-haul passenger planes, have enabled incremental performance improvements in the human quest for artificial flight.
Future biomimetic inspired performance improvements in airplane wings will be driven by a need for more efficient energy consumption. The use of novel materials and manufacturing methods will help to achieve these improvements.
An adaptive design workflow was achieved by developing the “Turtle Graphics toolkit”. The toolkit contains a library of code scripts, which are executed within a custom-built Hyperganic Print app to generate and display the Feather-Wing model’s geometry. Varying functions within the toolkit scripts changes the output 3D model.
The tookit was used to develop these Feather-Wing features:
- Biomimetic feathers distributed at the wing-tip and on the airfoil
- Compliant mechanisms attached to the feather’s base
- Bowden Cable routing system connecting the wingtip mechanisms to the central body of the glider.
To achieve an adaptive design workflow, an easy-to-use app interface was developed within the Hyperganic Print application.
The parameters of the geometry generation function are paired to User Interface features in the app, enabling a fast design workflow.
When design engineers are using Hyperganic’s 3D modelling software they require computationally fast geometry generation algorithms.
This objective was measured by testing the computational performance (script runtime) of the geometry generation algorithms on biomimetic feathers designed at discrete degrees of geometric complexity.
The most geometrically complex feather “c)“ (with features mimicking the barbs, barbules and hooks of flight feathers) has 8500 features and was generated in an average script runtime of 0.95 seconds.
Outcome: Further complexity tests suggested the algorithms are sufficiently fast for a design engineer’s modelling workflow.
My university Technology Futures group project, Ro-Biotics, was awarded Best Project from the module and we presented the work at The Global Grad Show held during Dubai Design Week 2019. Tasked to create technological roadmaps towards 2050, Ro-Biotics proposed interventions against antimicrobial resistance. The World Health Organisation predicts that by 2050 ten million deaths a year will be attributed to antibiotic resistant bacteria, over 1 million more than the next biggest contributor.
Our research and prototypes were informed by biotech materials and micro-scale 3D printing manufacture.
Brief:
Use various design frameworks to forecast Future Technologies. Our group’s initial research brief focussed on emerging “4D printing” technologies (3D printing of smart-materials that transform shape under stimulus change).
Outcome:
We researched the field; interviewed experts at Imperial College London; created three diverse prototypes and documented our future predictions in a 20 page design portfolio.
Headline video describing Ro-Biotics vision. Created by me, December 2018.
The Futures Cone (by Voros) was used by the group to explore potential futures. These futures range from Probable (traditional design space) to Possible (moonshots).
The Ro-Biotics team presented at two Industrial Review Evenings and we created three prototypes to explain our concept. Our work was judged to be the best example of a Future Technolgies study amongst 10 competing projects.
We were selected to present at The Global Grad Show held during Dubai Design Week (November 2019). We exhibited alongside 100 other leading international designers, explaining our concept to industry leaders and investors. Our work was covered by CNN, we present in the video in the page header. A fantastic experience.
Microscopic solid polymer prototypes manufactured at the EPSRC Micro-Engineering Facility for Medical Robotics, Imperial College London. By 2050, Ro-Biotics envisions manufacture of smart micro-robots made of biocompatible materials (required size for use within human blood vessels would be 1/10th the size of these prototypes).
Video showing the star-shaped Shape Memory Polymer actuating in a hot water bath. By 2050, Ro-Biotics smart-material actuation caused by stimulus inside the body.
Stop Motion exploring how a Ro-Biotic could work within the bloodstream. Created by me, November 2018.
Adobe InDesign was used to create a visually striking document that communicated our scientific research and future technology roadmaps. View the design portfolio here.
Since October 2019, I have been CEO of Joy Story, a four-person student enterprise whose first product, The Giant Tilt Maze, is a collaborative game that sparks joyful moments which break the ice between employees in the workplace.
Our aim is to make a profitable design engineering enterprise, I led a methodological approach to enterprise roll-out enabling us to: develop a novel concept; understand the market size and needs of the user group; pitch the concept in front of a 70-person audience; and measure the success of the prototypes through user testing.
I designed The Giant Tilt Maze, a foot-controlled wooden balance board where users work together to navigate a ball through the maze to the board’s target destinations, accumulating points. The first prototype was made of cardboard packaging taped on top of a fitness balance board.
Following multiple iterations, the final prototype featured electronics and target destinations of London landmarks made from laser-cut acrylic. Iterating and gaining user insights quickly in the product development process leads to better outcomes.
In February 2020, The Giant Tilt Maze was tested in Brompton Bicycle’s factory social space. The Brompton employees, from both the office and shop floor, had fun whilst working together on the game and gave constructive feedback for future prototypes.
See the Joy Story website: www.joystory.uk
See our design process: https://www.joystory.uk/invest/
Our product launch video, filmed March 2020.
I enjoyed working with my teammates Matthew, Justice, Hayden and Will.
We tested the Giant Tilt Maze at Brompton Bicycle's factory social space in February2020.
October 2017 to March 2018
An individual project
I was tasked to: redesign packaging of Fast Moving Consumer Goods; reduce the amount of packaging disposed to landfill; and adapt the packaging to a circular economy model. I designed the packaging inclusively, making it easily opened by all users.
January until May 2018
Gizmo shows my engineering design process for a single-foot jumping robot. Supported by mechanics calculation and design in Solidworks CAD; the robot used springs, release mechanisms and small electronics to achieve a biomimicry-inspired explosive leap.
Before commencing the design of the robot, I generated concept ideas and calculated the required mechanical output for the robot:
The techniques I used were:
Morphological Analysis to compare required robot functions against methods of fufillment.
Using MATLAB to predict the required kinetic energy and projectile motion for the stipulated 300mm jump height and jump range.
Designing the number, arrangement and torque of torsion springs required to facilitate the robot’s jump.
Specifying: the motor and geartrain needed to compress the torsion springs; a battery that could supply sufficient power.
Key Design Features:
Using a LiPo battery-powered Metal Gearmotor, I used a four-stage geartrain to step up the torque at the motor shaft (0.2 Nm) by a factor of ten to a 2.2 Nm shaft torque at the pinion gear output. The feasibility of the geartrain transmission was estimated by Engineering Analysis of the shafts and technical data provided by the gear’s supplier.
To jump, the robot’s four torsion springs had to be compressed from their resting postion to an angle where elastic potential energy was stored. To compress (and later release) the springs, I used a Rack and Pinion system.
The design specification required a black-box of electronics to be ingress protected from water and dust. To achieve this, I identified a specific O-ring sealant, based on calculation and manufacturer products.
View the full Gizmo report, including further engineering calculations and part failure analysis:
March 2018
Applying the theory learnt from two Electrical Engineering modules, our group achieved a self-balancing two wheeled robot, whose movements could be controlled remotely.
For this project we were given the robot, we had to implement Python code onto the Pyboard computer. The Pyboard’s electrical modules included an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a microphone.
Scroll down for further explanation.
To View the Python code used to control the Segway, visit my github page:
January to June 2017
Set a brief to design the full size prototype a single user autonomous vehicle, my group and I conceptualized and delivered Pobo, an autonomous stroller designed to improve the journeys of the parent and child and encourage exercise.
The autonomous vehicle was developed through analysis of human factors and user testing of rapid cardboard prototypes. Mock up prototypes of a working User Interface, developed to give a sense of control to the user, completed the whole system design of Pobo.
This project was an excellent insight into the full design process, CAD modelling and teamwork.
My Contribution to the Project:
Design and build of the ‘Nest’, the baby seat intended to give unrivalled comfort for the child
I was the group’s lead presenter, responsible for regularly updating tutors on the progress of our design. I pitched the idea to automotive industry leaders, our group learned a lot from their constructive feedback.
My Design Engineer career originated from a passion for sketching and painting. Studying Art throughout school gave me access to studio space and motivation to produce a lot of work. I would also sketch sports stadia, where I began to consider where architecture and Engineering affected my designs.
My first piece, “Margaret”, is a life class painting. I found life classes relaxing and a fantastic creative output. The painting composition is inspired by the work of Edward Hopper - one of my favourite painters.