Seating on waves

Overview
This proejct discovered how might I create a stool that can simulate people sitting on waves? 

WaveBlocks is a customized stool with generative design and inspired by wave and materials structure. Users can interact with the stool and it can be customised by various shape, softness, just like waves have different kinds of form.

To acheive this, I use different materials structure which inspired by different materials atomics strudcture with different density. It can create various softness for people sit on the stool.

Solo Project


Role:

3D CAD design
Generative Design
Prototyper

Duration:

Jan. 2021 (1 month)

Category:
#Manufacturing
#Ergonomic
#Materialized 4.0
#MaterialsScience

INSPIRATION:

WaveBlocks is inspired by nature tidal wave, and I raise a research question that “How might I create a superform for users to seat on the tidal waves?”

To answer this, I research and analysis about the characteristic of tidal waves. I extract the element of “Dynamic, fluid and organic” as the core of my superform creation.  

EXPLORATION

SOFTNESS

Inspired by my materials science background, different atomic structure has different stacking density which can create various bouncing degree With 3D-generative software algrithom calculation and test. I can create and customise each WaveBlocks for user provide unique looks and softness.

CUSION

With different approach to simulate waves forms. At first, The low-fiedilty prototype is to simulate the form of tidal wave and also consider about the egnomics for users to sit.
Then explorated the ways to create various softness of the cusion and bouncing feedback.

PROTOTYPE TEST

In order to test if the structural change can really change the elastic property of the stool, 3D-print prototypes had been tested. With the TPU materials, high density materials prototype are hard to have the elastic property. It needs to decrease the density to achieve elastic characteristic.  

OUTCOME

WaveBlocks is a generative design stool with customised tidal wave cusion and different softness bouncing feedback by various material structure on the bottom site. Inspired by nature and provide users co-design through digital method to achieve materials 4.0 world personel futniture design.

REFLECTION

The Waveblocks now tested in a small scale, in the future, it can be scaled up to the real size. At that time, the bottom materials structure can be chosen with various materials like TPU, ABS, PLA or even wood to see each elastic degree and also can provide different options for users.