Meta Mecha Ntchito Yoyamba: Chophimba cha Chiwalo Choyikamo by Xuerong Cai is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award in Mapangidwe a Zida Zothandizira Thupi ndi Zoyikidwa M'thupi Competition Category.
ChitsuloZida Zothandizira Thupi· 2023
Meta Mecha Ntchito Yoyamba: Chophimba cha Chiwalo Choyikamo
by Xuerong Cai
Client: Meta Mecha
Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award Winner in Zida Zothandizira Thupi Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #142371The Design
About Meta Mecha Ntchito Yoyamba: Chophimba cha Chiwalo Choyikamo
Mawu a Bukhu: Meta Mecha ndi chophimba cha m'mphepete mwa chiwalo choyikamo chopangidwa kuchokera ku zinthu zamakina zapadera (mechanical metamaterials). Chophimbachi chimapangidwa kuchokera pa kanema wa 3D wa chiwalo chotsalira komanso deta ya kukanikiza yomwe imasonkhanitsidwa pa nthawi yoyenda, kotero kuti mawonekedwe amakina amatsata zosowa zamankhwala zaumwini wa munthu aliyense. Meta Mecha imasindikizidwa mu 3D pogwiritsa ntchito TPU yosinthasintha m'mapiritala azamakampani. Chinthu chomwe chimamva kukanikiza chimasintha mtundu pamene kukanikiza kukupitirira muyeso woloŵerera, kusonyeza wogwiritsa ntchito kuti chophimbachi chifunika kusinthidwa. Kusintha kumakhala kophweka komanso kotsika mtengo, ndipo kumathandizira kusintha pang'onopang'ono kwa mawonekedwe a chiwalo chotsalira.
The Recognition
About the Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award
Meta Mecha Ntchito Yoyamba: Chophimba cha Chiwalo Choyikamo ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe abwino omwe amakwaniritsa zofunika za akatswiri ndi za makampani zomwe zimayembekezeka kuchokera ku zolengedwa zopangidwa bwino. Opambana a Chitsulo amaonetsa luso lalikulu, ukatswiri wapamwamba, kumvetsetsa kwa akatswiri ndi mphamvu yolenga ya opanga awo. Meta Mecha Ntchito Yoyamba: Chophimba cha Chiwalo Choyikamo akuyembekezeka kukhala cholengedwa choyamikiridwa kwambiri, chosirira ndi chokondedwa chomwe ndi chothandiza ndi chatsopano. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award awa amaphatikiza machitidwe abwino kwambiri a makampani ndipo ali ndi makhalidwe a ukadaulo oyenerera olumikizidwa ndi chidziwitso ndi luso. Meta Mecha Ntchito Yoyamba: Chophimba cha Chiwalo Choyikamo amalemekezedwa chifukwa cha kusamala kwake ndipo anapangidwa kuti apereke kukonza kwa moyo kumene kumathandiza kusandutsa dziko kukhala malo abwino.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- With 3D printable mechanical metamaterials as the prosthetic liner, Meta Mecha makes it possible to customize mechanical surfaces for different amputees according to personalized medical requirements.
The pressure sensitive color-changing material provides visualization of the unsuitability and draws attention.
The prosthetic liner can be replaced to support the deformation process of residual limb. The user can update their mechanical surface inside the prosthetic in a simple and economical way. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 136mm*Depth 139mm*Height 175mm
(The dimensions of prosthetic liner should differ from user to user, above is an example of our case) - Tags
- Prosthetic socket liner, Customized design, 3D print, Computational design
- Production Technology
- The mechanical metamaterial prosthetic liner is 3D printed with industrial quality 3D printers and elastic TPU. It is impossible to manufacture the complex 3D shape without additive manufacturing technology.
3D scanning and pressure sensor equipment are used before the design process to acquire the shape and mechanical requirements of amputees.
Generative design approach is used to generate design with customized requirements. In our prototype, we use Grasshopper to generate our design. - Design Challenge
- It is a challenge for us to understand the logic and process of editing mechanical metamaterial. We have referred to many papers and interviewed a metamaterial specialist in our university and finally managed to arrange the structure unit on a prosthetic liner by using Grasshopper and plugins. Another challenge emerges when we try to prototype the product with 3D printing. It took us a while to find an industrial 3D printing laboratory that can use TPU to print the complex structure of metamaterial.
- Research
- We had looked through papers on mechanical metamaterials, medical requirements on prosthetic and computational design to understand how to apply metamaterials in the prosthesis field. We then had conversations with a metamaterial specialist to verify our idea. We also printed out ten little blocks with metamaterial structure to experiment on different mechanical properties.
- Inspiration
- The future trend of computational design draws our attention to programmable matter and metamaterial. We are surprised to find its potential to empower design with material science and motivated to reconsider objects in microscopic logic.
With generative design and simulation tools, we propose application of metamaterial in the prosthetic field, offering both customized and medically compliant service. - Project Duration
- The project started in October 2021 in Shanghai, the first prototype was exhibited in D&I Shanghai in December 2021. An educational exhibition based on the project was shown in Shanghai Dyson Ideation Lab from February.
- Operation Flow
- Users first get residual limb 3D scanning and walk in a common socket to collect his pressure distribution data. A 3D model of metamaterial prosthetic liner is generated based on the data collected and medical requirements. After the prosthetic liner is 3D printed, it will be assembled with other parts of the prosthesis and delivered to the user. The prosthetic liner adjusts the best pressure level for the user and warns the user when pressure exceeds tolerance limits by color change. With the visual cue, the user can understand it's time to replace the liner to fit his residual limb deformation.
- Team Members
- Longyu Gong
Ruikun Pan
Xuerong Cai
Yanyun Wu - Image Credits
- Images: Xuerong Cai, Ruikun Pan, Yanyun Wu, Longyu Gong
Sponsored
Explore Beyond Designers.org
Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.
More to Explore
Related Designs
Explore more award-winning designs from the same category, selected by merit.
