Barna Soma Biro is an innovation design engineer from Budapest, Hungary, with a degree in BSc Biological Sciences from Imperial College London. His current practice primarily focuses on developing innovative solutions by integrating biological mechanisms and functions into the field of design. By transforming and simplifying prototyping and manufacturing practices utilising scientific and technological advancements, he aims to develop solutions that help transition into a more sustainable way of living.
Barna Soma Biro
I am fascinated by the concepts of variation over generations, diversification and optimisation. These are what drew me to learning more about languages by competing in the International Linguistics Olympiad during my high-school years, and to specialising in evolutionary biology during my undergraduate studies. I am currently focusing on incorporating biological systems into the design process, and understanding more about the evolution of artificial objects. More broadly, my design practice revolves around exploiting scientific advancements for creating design solutions allowing for a more sustainable future.
The project started with an explorative approach into understanding the various methodologies that could be used to design and build inflatable structures. Biomaterials, such as bacterial cellulose as well as agar bioplastic, were synthesised for structural experimentation. Thermoplastics, such as PVC, were sealed using a high frequency welder, as well as through heat-sealing using an iron or the heated up nozzle of a 3D printer. Finally, thermosets, such as synthetic rubber, were experimented with using a laser cutter for cutting patterns and adhesives for sealing inflatables.
Agar bioplastic experiments –
Experiments exploring various compositions and the resulting structural properties of agar-based bioplastic materials.
Experiments with PVC –
PVC plastic sheets sealed using a high-frequency welder machine.
Synthetic rubber experiments –
Laser cutting and glueing process for creating synthetic rubber inflatable prototypes.
In order to understand the relationship between the 2D patterns of inflatables and the 3D shapes they take up once inflated, a set of structural experiments were conducted. First, a more elastic material, synthetic rubber, was explored for constructing shapes made of single or multiple air bladders. Then less elastic thermoplastics, such as PP and PE, were experimented with to create inflatable prototypes using the heated-up nozzle of a 3D printer.
Synthetic rubber structures –
Examples of inflatable structures made using synthetic rubber.
3D printer setup –
Securing metallised film to the 3D printer bed for cutting and sealing using the heated-up 3D printer nozzle.
Plastic sheet cutting –
The heated up 3D printer nozzle in the process of sealing and cutting multiple layers of metallised film for inflatable prototyping.
Metallised film structures –
Structures made out of metallised film using a 3D printer for sealing, cutting and piercing layers of plastic sheets.
Once a reliable workflow of translating digital geometries into inflatable structures was developed using thermoplastics, such as PP and PE, and a hot 3D printer nozzle for cutting, piercing and sealing layers of plastic sheets together, a creative platform was designed. The platform is a website that provides creatives instructions and tools for inflatable prototyping, such as a library for appropriate settings, snippets of code for different functions, a slicer software as well as 3D printable add-ons. These add-ons can be used to secure layers of plastic sheets to the 3D printer bed as well as to lay new layers of plastic sheets onto the 3D printer bed through an automated mechanism.
Squishifier website –
There are 3D printable add-ons available on the website alongside instructions, a slicer software and a library of code snippets allowing creatives to turn their 3D printers into inflatable prototyping machines.
Feeder tool –
Different prototypes of the feeder tool that can be used to load and secure new layers of plastic sheets onto the 3D printer bed.
Hook tool –
Prototypes of the hook tool that can pull new layers of plastic sheets onto the inflatable structure being built.
Adding a new layer –
Automated mechanism for adding a new layer of plastic sheets to the prototype using the feeder and the hook tools.