SIS Research Seminar by Peng Song | Computational Design of Complex Assemblies

3D assemblies refer to objects that combine multiple component parts into a structure with a specific form and/or functionality. Due to the ability to make complex and/or large objects from simple and small parts, 3D assemblies are widely used, e.g., in toys, mechanism, furniture, and architecture. Designing complex assemblies is a challenging problem since we need to consider not only the geometry of parts and their local joining, but also the structural, functional and aesthetic performance of the whole assembly.

In this talk, I will outline a general computational approach for the fabrication-aware design of complex assemblies. The key ingredients of this approach include high-level assembly representations, geometric abstractions of physical properties, and advanced design exploration methods. I will focus on three examples of this approach: 1) interlocking assemblies with high structural stability; 2) functional mechanical assemblies that can display user-specified motions; and 3) reconfigurable assemblies that have multiple forms for use in different situations. All these designed assemblies are ready for fabrication and their physical performance have been validated in the experiments.

About the Speaker