Physicalizing Virtual Models Created by Physarum Polycephalum 3D Simulation
Published in eScholarship, 2023
Authors: Drew Ehrlich
Abstract: This thesis presents a pipeline for creating visually compelling bio-inspired versions of triangle meshes that can be 3D printed using consumer hardware. The process to make these models uses the simulation software PolyPhy, whose behavior is governed by an algorithm that mimics the optimal foraging behavior of the Physarum polycephalum slime mold. The structures created with this technique can both serve as computational art and also lay the foundations creating novel infill structures for filament based 3D printing.