Robotic 3D printer has been developing shock-absorbing structures for years

Imagine you want to iterate on a plastic shock-absorbing structure design. You can design something in CAD, print it, and then test it on a platform. You will then record your measurements and repeat the process. What if a robot could do all this for years? This is precisely what is happening at Boston University.

Inside the College of Engineering, a robotic system works to optimize a shape to better absorb energy. The system first 3D prints a shape and stores a record of its shape and size. The shape is then crushed with a small press while the system measures the amount of energy needed to compress it. The crushed object is then discarded, the robot iterates on a new design and starts again.

The experiment has continued for three years without interruption. The MAMA BEAR robot has tested more than 25,000 3D prints, which now fill dozens of boxes. It’s not frivolous either. According to engineer Keith Brown, the old record for an energy-absorbing structure was 71 percent efficiency. The robot developed a structure with 75% efficiency as of January 2023, according to its research paper.

Who needs humans when robots do science on their own? Video after the break.

(Thanks to Frans for the advice!)