Project Meshagon: The first ever 3-D printed tetrahedral finite element 'manifold' meshes.
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'Meshagons' are 3-D printed tetrahedral finite element mesh structures. As far as I know the first ever. In addition to being very aesthetically fascinating, there may also be significant applications in Engineering, Bioengineering, Architecture, and Interior Design. Jump to the full story about meshagon development HERE.
Engineering Applications Meshagons are developed using a force/optimization approach, thus, they are inherently very strong. This could enable the printing of parts that have 'open' internal space (instead of being solid), yet retaining high strength of the outer 'shell'. This could result in significantly lighter parts and reduction of material costs. NASA and GE are already printing key components, such as a Jet nozzle (see this article, and also more in-depth here. There could be many applications for 'meshagon-based' parts in the Aerospace, Automotive, and other industries where component weight and strength are critical factors. Since meshagons are directly developed using a Finite Element method, analysis of part strength and integration with larger systems can be accurately done. Ultimately, meshagons can be parametrically adapted to optimize strength while minimizing part weight! This would take a lot of computer horsepower and some novel programming, but it can certainly be done with existing technologies. Bioengineering Applications Meshagons could be ideal for 3-D printing of implants or scaffolds for bone or other tissue engineering applications. Recently there has been great progress and research in 3-D printing (Additive manufacturing) for customized, personalized solutions in orthopaedic repair, surgical reconstructions, and bone implants (e.g. Envisiontec, Inc.). Meshagons can be parametrically adapted to optimize porosity and shape of the structure while maintaining ideal implant or 'organ' shape. Also, since meshagons can have 'organic' shape/structure, this may improve bio-compatibility. There is a lot of room for research and applications in this area. Architecture and Interior Design Applications Meshagons have awesome potential for architecture and interior design. Not only are they aesthetically appealing, they have inherent 'designable' strength properties. Several designers, such as Dirk Vander Kooij and Emerging Objects are already printing large scale objects such as chairs and room components. There are even plans to build whole rooms and buildings by the end of this year... Meshagon-based structures could significantly reduce the material costs and weight of many architectural/designs, particularly large scale objects that might not even be 'printable' in solid form. Plus, they would be great to look at IMHO :) Contact me at tcd@tensortek.com for updates/comments, gravid advice, or general interest. |
The Mezoscope: An affordable, high-resolution microscopy system
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I have developed a fully automated microscope capable of 2 and 3-D 'mosaics', Z-stepping, and novel polarized light imaging. Current systems (e.g. Nikon or Olympus) for automated mosaicing are prohibitively expensive (often >$70k). Ouch.
My system is a fraction of that cost, mainly because I'm using newly available motor controllers (polulu.com) and a novel, simple belt-driven mechanical design; with my own custom programmed imaging software/tools. Versions of the Mezoscope are being used at Drexel University, Temple University, the Cleveland Clinic, and Exponent, Inc (Philadelphia). Visit the Zoom gallery for Gigapixel images and the Microphotography gallery. also there are more details about the Mezoscope HERE. Contact me at tcd@tensortek.com for more info, consulting, or anything interesting! |
