Radiolaria Stool Series Design: Synergistic integration of computational design and additive manufacturing

Radiolaria are holoplanktonic amoeboid protists, part of Rhizaria lineage, characterized by a spherical morphology (global form) and rounded hexagonal shape (holes pattern); their skeletons of silica minerals allow them to resist homogeneously water pressure. Radiolaria stool series is a project aimed at studying radiolarian exoskeleton to apply it in design through the synergistic integration of Computational Design (CD) and Additive Manufacturing (AM). The project methodological sequence was the following: Organism Selection (1), Morphologic Synthesis (2), Integration into the Target Product (3), Morphologic Transformations (4), Digital Evaluation through Finite Element Analysis (5), Digital Model Selection (6), Additive Manufacturing Prototyping (7), Usability Testing. The strength of twenty-five models were evaluated through the beam-based Finite Element Analysis method, after that 1:1 scale prototype was made using Fused Deposition Modeling technology (FDM) with PLA material, and user testing was done. We conclude that it was possible to generate complex and functional stools to perform properly under human-scale loads. The results demonstrate the advantages of CD and AM integration under a biodigital approach. Finally, this methodology and experience can be transferred to other projects at different scales and complexities.