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3D printing explains physics
Researchers at Imperial College London successfully demonstrated how complex
theoretical physics can be transformed into a physical object using a 3D printer. In
eight hours and at the cost of around $20 (15€), a commercially available 3D printer
created 8-cm3 objects based on a mathematical model that describes how forest fires
can be started and how they eventually spread over time. Dubbed “sculplexity”
(sculptures of complexity), the approach could also be used to
produce works of art based on science.
“The basic idea is simple,” says Tim
Evans, theoretical physicist. “A 3D printer
builds up its object in layers, so the height
of the object can be thought of as time.
Suppose you have a mathematical
model, which defines a flat, 2D picture
that evolves in time—typically this will
be a grid with some squares full and
some empty. The mathematical
model will define at each point in
time what the printer should print at
one height. The next step in the
model will then define what to print
on top of the first layer, and so
forth. The result is a 3D object that
shows how the mathematical
model has evolved over time.” For
more information: Tim Evans, +44 (0)20
7594 7837, , .
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • MARCH 2014 59
Wearable art
Chicago-based artist and
longtime proponent of 3D-printed art
and sculpture, Joshua Harker made
his runway debut at this year’s 3D
Printshow in London and Paris. His
first piece of wearable art, a
headdress laser sintered on an
EOSINT P 760 additive
manufacturing system, served as the
anchor of the fashion show. The all-
plastic headgear, which pays homage
to traditional ceremonial headdresses
of Native American and African
tribes, consists of a variety of
interwoven and suspended
components. After Harker dedicated
almost 200 hours of design time,
EOS was able to print the entire
piece in less than 26 hours. For more
information: Joshua Harker, 773/343-
2251, .
Algorithm makes faces more memorable
Faces could be instantly transformed into more
memorable ones without the need for an expensive
makeover, thanks to an algorithm developed by
researchers in Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge. To develop the
algorithm, a database of more than 2000 images was fed into the software. Each
image was awarded a “memorability score,” based on volunteers’ ability to remember
the pictures, which allows the software to analyze and detect subtle trends in the
features that made them more or less memorable. The algorithm was programmed
with a set of objectives—to make the face as memorable as possible without
changing the identity of the person or
altering their facial attributes, such as age,
gender, or overall attractiveness.
Changing the width of a nose may make a
face look much more distinctive, for
example, but it could also completely alter
how attractive the person is, and so would
fail to meet the algorithm’s objectives.
For more information: Aditya Khosla,
, .
The top left and bottom right images are the
most memorable. Courtesy of the Oliva and
Torralba labs.
The headdress material is nylon 12
(specifically EOS PA 2201), commonly
used in manufacturing. Its properties are
analogous to traditional nylon 12.
Researchers successfully
demonstrated how
complex theoretical
physics can be
transformed into a physical
object using a 3D printer.
Courtesy of Imperial
College London/EPL.