BIOMIMETIC COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF COMPLEX BIOLOGICAL SURFACES

摘要

Conventional computer-aided design software does not yet provide special tools oriented to modeling the complexity of biological systems, as such programs are mainly developed for promoting information exchange in tasks related to industrial design and to parts with regular smooth surfaces. The process explained in this study allows defining and precisely controlling the topography of surfaces from the design stage, with help of computer-aided design tools. Its application to obtaining a biomimetic surface based on the leaves of the Lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera), renowned for its outstanding self-healing and tribological properties, is shown as example. Some reflections on potential remarkable applications, linked to the development of implants and prototypes with applications in several industries, have also been included.