At the 2024 CAA Graduation Exhibition, the School of Industrial Design graduates Chen Tao and Ding Hao showcased their intelligent product, Reef Builder, designed with the assistance of their advisors. The project, named “Blue Project - Infinite Construction”, focuses on the marine ecological field, promoting biodiversity through innovative integrated hardware and software design, and it won the gold award.
The project’s background is marine ecological protection and development. It combines top-level design thinking, seabed terrain recognition, ocean current velocity detection, and 3D printing technology to develop a localized coral reef-printing robot, providing a suitable habitat for coral polyps. This coral ecological conservation robot, Reef Builder, based on seabed terrain and ocean currents, intelligently prints coral reef plates with internal water flow velocities averaging between 0.1-0.3m/s. It can automatically dive, print, and float, reducing the cost and risk of manually placing coral reefs and improving the efficiency of reef generation and placement. Users can view underwater working conditions and scenes through an interactive platform, creating a new picture of human-marine ecology interaction.
The device’s body is CNC machined from ABS material, then polished and sanded to make it smoother and more aesthetically pleasing. It is then spray-coated with matte metallic paint, giving the product a unique texture and visual effect. Internal high-strength structural components are made of aluminum alloy, CNC machined to ensure superior mechanical performance and durability. Some internal structures are made using FDM 3D printing technology with high-performance materials to ensure the precision and strength of the components. The coral reef plates displayed in the exhibition are also made using FDM 3D printing technology, primarily from environmentally friendly and biocompatible PLA. The display aquariums are made of high-transparency hard glass, ensuring both display effectiveness and viewing experience.
This project is an interdisciplinary research endeavor, combining biology, oceanography, and structural engineering. The team validated the project’s rationality and feasibility through rigorous experimental processes, completing a comprehensive and rich graduation design. The project was developed in collaboration with the domestic 3D printer company Bamboo Lab, focusing on underwater 3D printing structures. While ensuring the internal structure, the design also considers the robot's printing range and diving and floating functions, integrating aesthetics for a holistic design. The prototype has been developed and highly recognized by the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, paving the way for ongoing collaboration.
Blue Project - Infinite Construction
Artist: Chen Tao, Ding Hao (School of Industrial Design)
Instructor: Liu Jiarui, Wei Wei, Wang Fei
