MIT CSAIL Focusing on Topology Optimization for 3D Printing

We're always interested to hear what new innovation the researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) are working on next. Currently, they're focused on topology optimization for 3D printing, and developed a new design system which catalogs the physical properties of many tiny voxel clusters, which are the building blocks for larger 3D printable objects. 3D printers typically have a 600 dot per inch resolution, so designers have a lot of precise control over a 3D printed object's microstructure and physical properties, such as strength and deformation. But it would take an insane amount of time to evaluate the physical effects of all possible combinations for an object made up of billions and billions of voxels, not to mention for a multi-material object. The new software system from CSAIL allows designers to exploit a 3D printer's extremely high resolution. Read more at 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/183380/csail-topology-optimization/

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