{"id":10034,"date":"2018-10-29T01:00:21","date_gmt":"2018-10-29T01:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=10034"},"modified":"2018-10-26T10:18:26","modified_gmt":"2018-10-26T10:18:26","slug":"nicole-hone-hydrophytes-4d-printed-aquatic-plants-291020184","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/nicole-hone-hydrophytes-4d-printed-aquatic-plants-291020184\/","title":{"rendered":"Nicole Hone and her “Hydrophytes”, 4D printed aquatic plants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hydrophytes is a project that seeks to show what plants of the future might look like.\u00a0Created through\u00a04D printing<\/a>, their intelligent manufacturing materials allow them to develop movements very similar to real aquatic plants.\u00a0The creator of this project is Nicole Hone, a New Zealand industrial designer, who introduced Hydrophytes as a new creative mode through 3D printing.\u00a0We were able to meet her so that she could tell us more and teach the importance of 4D printing in creative and industrial developments.<\/p>\n

3DN: Can you introduce yourself and tell us more about your connection to 3D printing technologies?<\/h3>\n
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\"hydrophytic\"<\/p>\n

Nicole Hone<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I am an industrial designer based in Wellington, New Zealand.\u00a0Hydrophytes was created as part of a thesis project for my Masters in Innovation in Design from Victoria University of Wellington that I completed in July 2018. I first discovered 3D printing as as a student in industrial design in 2014. I appreciate the freedom of creation in the forms offered by 3D printing and the ease with which variations of a drawing can be translated into a physical object.\u00a0The\u00a0PolyJet Technology<\/a>.\u00a0I was particularly interested because I could combine materials with different degrees of flexibility.\u00a0The ability to design the internal parts and small details of an object with high resolution was a pleasant challenge.\u00a0I was also captivated by the way digital materials behaved in the same way as living organisms.<\/p>\n

3DN: How was the idea of “Hydrophytes” born?<\/h3>\n

I have always been fascinated by nature, it inspires me a lot in design and aesthetics.\u00a0For this project, I was particularly interested in botany and marine life.\u00a0I was surprised by the way marine creatures and corals move and I wanted to reflect the same qualities in my creations.\u00a0During the first test prints, I discovered that the materials were more fluid and more organic in the water, because the fragile parts were reinforced.\u00a0At the beginning of my thesis project, I learned that we wanted to review the design of the New Zealand National Aquarium.\u00a0I thought it would be an opportunity to have a future-oriented exhibition with moving models that visitors could interact with.\u00a0That idea,<\/p>

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3DN: Can you explain the process of developing one of your futuristic plants?<\/h3>\n

The project was inspired by the study of books and videos on nature and biology, as well as by plant photography.\u00a0Each “hydrophyte” begins with a pencil sketch to illustrate its shape and mechanism of movement.\u00a0The concept is then modeled in 3D using a combination of software to create the shape, texture of the surface and internal structures.\u00a0The designs are composed of several parts, the hardness of each being specified on the computer.\u00a0The Connex 3D machine prints each pattern as a homogeneous object, in which different mixtures of acrylic-based and other rubber-like resins are polymerized with UV light.<\/p>\n

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Feather Nurse<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Printed models are covered with a gelatinous carrier material that is removed by dipping the object into water and wiping it thoroughly.\u00a0The cleaning process can take up to four hours to print.\u00a0Once cleaned, the hydrophytes are first pumped with water to separate the two membranes from the material and help remove the support material.\u00a0The designs are immersed in water and inflated to choreograph their movement for the film.\u00a0The final collection of hydrophytes is the result of about 50 individual experiments, all tested and filmed.\u00a0The colored light is added by an LED floodlight that accentuates the feeling of life and the character of each plant.<\/p>\n

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Imp Root<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

3DN: What do you think is the importance of 4D printing?<\/h3>\n

4D printing allows us to create objects that can move and change shape or appearance.\u00a0This provides additional functionality in designing objects that can be controlled and digitally tested.\u00a0Add to that the ability to print with multiple materials and even with “smart” materials.\u00a04D printing applications are huge.\u00a0Some examples of industrial applications include robotics, architecture and the medical field.<\/p>\n

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3D development of a hydrophyte<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The 4D multi-material printing application presented by Hydrophytes illustrates the concept of computer-generated objects (or CGOs), similar to the concept of digital special effects.\u00a0In both cases, the subject is created numerically, but the difference is that CGOs are physical objects that can interact naturally with their environment.\u00a0This type of 4D printing offers advantages for the film and exhibition sectors.\u00a0Film accessories designed with 4D multi-material printing could help to provoke authentic reactions among actors and create compelling interactions between the object and the environment.\u00a0These accessories could even be used at promotional events or theme parks based on the film.\u00a0There is also a growing trend to create immersive experiences in contemporary museums.\u00a0For example, natural history museums or aquariums could display 4D printed animals to create moving and interactive encounters.<\/p>\n

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3D printed model<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

3DN: What are your future projects?\u00a0Where do you see yourself in 10 years?<\/h3>\n

3D \/ 4D printing technologies are constantly evolving.\u00a0The ability to print in color and the development of new materials for PolyJet printing and voxel technology offer opportunities to create more complex, realistic and larger 4D printed objects.\u00a0In the future, I would like to design content for exhibition spaces and \/ or films, to create experiences that can surprise and intrigue people.\u00a0Hope this will include experiments with this advanced technology.\u00a0I would like to continue to give life to objects, be they animals, fictional characters or even dinosaurs.<\/p>\n

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\"Hydrophytes\"

Arrow Pod<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

3DN: A last word for our readers?<\/h3>\n

I am very grateful to Victoria University of Wellington for giving me the opportunity to work with 3D \/ 4D multi-material printing technology.\u00a0I hope to witness the evolution of the university’s research in this field to promote design in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Find more information on Nicole Hone’s official website\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0and in the video below:<\/p>\n