Optimization Software Inspired by Marine Phytoplankton

Innovation: Industry

ELISE GmbH

2020 | Available to License

Image: Ant Rozetsky / Unsplash / CC BY SA - Creative Commons Attribution + ShareAlike

Optimize Shape/Materials

Resources are limited and the simple act of retaining them requires resources, especially energy. Living systems must constantly balance the value of resources obtained with the costs of resources expended; failure to do so can result in death or prevent reproduction. Living systems therefore optimize, rather than maximize, resource use. Optimizing shape ultimately optimizes materials and energy. An example of such optimization can be seen in the dolphin’s body shape. It’s streamlined to reduce drag in the water due to an optimal ratio of length to diameter, as well as features on its surface that lie flat, reducing turbulence.

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Modify Size/Shape/Mass/Volume

Many living systems alter their physical properties, such as size, shape, mass, or volume. These modifications occur in response to the living system’s needs and/or changing environmental conditions. For example, they may do this to move more efficiently, escape predators, recover from damage, or for many other reasons. These modifications require appropriate response rates and levels. Modifying any of these properties requires materials to enable such changes, cues to make the changes, and mechanisms to control them. An example is the porcupine fish, which protects itself from predators by taking sips of water or air to inflate its body and to erect spines embedded in its skin.

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Brochures

ELISE Press Information
551.1 KB PDF

Generative Engineering from ELISE utilizes software to design lightweight materials by optimizing the material used.

Benefits

Reduced costs
Reduced material use
Time saving

Applications

Aerospace
Automotive
Manufacturing

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 9: Industry Innovation & Infrastructure
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities
Goal 12: Responsible Production & Consumption

The Challenge

Developing technical parts can take a lot of time and resources, and the majority of the design process is manual. Using software to find optimum designs for specific constraints can save time, money, and materials.

Innovation Details

Inspired by the lightweight design of buoyant marine phytoplankton, ELISE designed software known as Generative Engineering that automatically generates lightweight designs and optimal load paths based on the user’s technical specifications. Unlike conventional serial development processes with sketch-based construction and manual iterations, Generative Engineering allows for real time adaptations to changing boundary conditions in one software environment.

Biological Model

Marine phytoplankton are microscopic algae that provide the foundation for many food webs. They require sunlight in order to grow, and many species have a buoyant, lightweight design that allows them to float on the surface of the water.

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