The concept of using silkworms for structural engineering, however strange, has a number of benefits. “The silkworm embodies everything an additive fabrication system currently lacks,” says Oxman. “It jets a structural material with superior function-specific variable properties; it’s small in size and mobile in movement; and it can spin, rather than print, non-homogeneous fibrous structures without waste. In more than one way, a silkworm is a sophisticated multi-material, multi-axis 3-D printer.” Most 3-D printers today would have difficulty printing something larger than the steering wheel of a car, but with a little help, these “MakerBugs” can build structures the size of small houses. The process is as environmentally friendly as it could possibly be — the worms transform White Mulberry leaves into building material, their creations biodegrade over time, and when the job is done the worms turn into moths and fly away, leaving enough eggs behind to create approximately 250 more structures.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 03:18:39 +0000
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