Generatively designed (GD), 3D printed chair takes GD a step closer to whole product design

April 30, 2019 | Case Study

Generative design (GD), a software technology that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to create and optimize part designs, has been receiving attention for industrial applications. This is mainly because of the advances in manufacturing technologies and computational design tools. In particular, with the recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and computing resources – such as graphics processing unit (GPU) and cloud computing – it is possible to design parts with better performance despite their complex shapes. While generatively designed parts can be hard to manufacture with traditional methods, 3D printing overcomes the manufacturability challenges. However, despite the significant benefits of GD such as light weighting and reduced costs, its use is still mainly limited to early-stage prototyping and part designing, which is far away from achieving whole product design.