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Biomimetic Application Potential of Agave sisalana Mechanical Properties, Lightness, Resistance Strategies, and Life Cycle for Digital Fabrication

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This research seeks to understand which elements are responsible for the mechanical properties of Agave sisalana and how these properties can conform to lightweight, resilient structures and materials for bio-inspired additive manufacturing processes with the possibility of design innovation and sustainability through of multidisciplinary research involving biomimetics, biology, materials processing and 3D printing. Environmental issues, economics of matter and energy; Difficult access to biodegradable materials, lack of adaptation to the natural processes of recycling and reintegration into the natural cycle of the environment are points related to the research problem. We try to answer the problem question by aligning biomimetic processes, digital fabrication and design of bio-inspired materials. We try to answer the problem question by aligning biomimetic processes, digital fabrication and design of bio-inspired materials. It is believe that it is possible to emulate the strategies of lightness and strength of the cell wall structure of the Agave floral stem in bio-inspired digital artifacts.
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Springer Series in Design and Innovation 17
EmiliaDuarte
CarlosRosaEditors
Developments
in Design
Research and
Practice
Best Papers from 10th Senses and
Sensibility2019: Lost in (G)localization
Springer Series in Design and Innovation
Volume 17
Editor-in-Chief
Francesca Tosi, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Series Editors
Claudio Germak, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
Francesco Zurlo, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
Zhi Jinyi, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
Marilaine Pozzatti Amadori, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria,
Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Maurizio Caon , University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Fribourg, Switzerland
Springer Series in Design and Innovation (SSDI) publishes books on innovation
and the latest developments in the fields of Product Design, Interior Design and
Communication Design, with particular emphasis on technological and formal
innovation, and on the application of digital technologies and new materials. The
series explores all aspects of design, e.g. Human-Centered Design/User Experience,
Service Design, and Design Thinking, which provide transversal and innovative
approaches oriented on the involvement of people throughout the design
development process. In addition, it covers emerging areas of research that may
represent essential opportunities for economic and social development.
In fields ranging from the humanities to engineering and architecture, design is
increasingly being recognized as a key means of bringing ideas to the market by
transforming them into user-friendly and appealing products or services. Moreover,
it provides a variety of methodologies, tools and techniques that can be used at
different stages of the innovation process to enhance the value of new products and
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The series’ scope includes monographs, professional books, advanced textbooks,
selected contributions from specialized conferences and workshops, and outstand-
ing Ph.D. theses.
Keywords: Product and System Innovation; Product design; Interior design;
Communication Design; Human-Centered Design/User Experience; Service
Design; Design Thinking; Digital Innovation; Innovation of Materials.
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More information about this series at https://link.springer.com/bookseries/16270
Emilia Duarte ·Carlos Rosa
Editors
Developments in Design
Research and Practice
Best Papers from 10th Senses and Sensibility
2019: Lost in (G)localization
Editors
Emilia Duarte
UNIDCOM/IADE - Unidade de
Investigação em Design e Comunicação
Universidade Europeia, IADE - Faculdade
de Design, Tecnologia e Comunicação
Lisboa, Portugal
Carlos Rosa
UNIDCOM/IADE - Unidade de
Investigação em Design e Comunicação
Universidade Europeia, IADE - Faculdade
de Design, Tecnologia e Comunicação
Lisboa, Portugal
ISSN 2661-8184 ISSN 2661-8192 (electronic)
Springer Series in Design and Innovation
ISBN 978-3-030-86595-5 ISBN 978-3-030-86596-2 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86596-2
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
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Preface I
Design as a Catalyst
Design is its own domain, with its own methods and processes, as well as epistemic
constraints and goals [1]. True, but with the proliferation of signs that form different
interactions across the possible ecosystems of our daily lives, it is necessary to equate
and study our internal and external relationships with them [2–7].
It is about this abounding growth of languages that we must reflect upon and
not only about their interpretation, but also about their production and, above all,
about the symbiotic attraction that these languages have within the environments
and ecosystems in which we live. Design is thus a catalyst not only for production,
but mainly for interpreting different languages. Consequently, I strongly believe that
design is itself a language and, as any language, it needs a medium and a process
to manifest itself. The creation of these languages, which may be universal, global,
or local, can be forms of criticism themselves. This proves that design is above all a
way of thinking.
The way we think and generate ideas could be thought of in terms of a teleportation
machine, which travels at a dizzying speed through parallel worlds that are being
built, and at the same time, slowly we are appreciating and looking critically at these
worlds. This speed is actually the sum of several speeds, that of the brain, the hand,
and the imagination of those who gaze at the drawing, those who read the processes,
and those who read the solutions. We have to be patient. We have to be responsible.
But above all, we need to have a critical attitude, to allow ourselves to be carried
away by the “teleportation machine.” The designer must regard himself as a critic.
I believe that the genesis of creativity is precisely this ability to travel, to “teleport”
oneself and foresee something that appears as an alternative which, through conscious
optimization, might end up being the solution. This critical attitude must be the main
ingredient of design schools. Designing starts with criticism. Designing starts with
teaching design.
It starts with the way we move and (g)locate in everyday life, in society. This
society we inhabit is guided by self-fulfilling prophecies, where the starting point is
v
vi Preface I
a set of false definitions. In turn, that false definitions give rise to new behaviours
making the initial conception true. When was the last time we used our memory?
When was the last time we relied on a digital assistant? And what about thinking?
Thinking without help?
We think in two dimensions, without depth, without volume, and without critical
dimension. We do not think enough; we criticize even less. This is the genuine
struggle of design: changing the world. Changing the mind-sets.
All of this hinders our capacity to reflect, and this limitation prevents us from
making projections in time. And it is these temporal features that transport us to the
future, for new scenarios and for new worlds in art, in culture, and in economy.
How do we manage to absorb timelessness if languages cannot project what
could be, what could have been, what is and what was, what will be or what actually
happened?
Our thinking archetypes have failed, and our ways to act tend to fail too. In the
field of thought, the models, concepts, and arguments that we traced as a society
served for a certain time, but we were unable to deal with our actions as human
beings. We created scenarios and strategies, but we were incapable of abandoning
them when we needed it the most.
We should and have to rethink the relationship between justice and doing, between
the material goods, the resources and the ways in which we produce and enjoy
artifacts. It is necessary to rethink the natural as the opposite to the artificial. To
solve all this, we must strive for a daily life stimulated by critical thinking, by activist
creators who transform our normality and our daily life because this is ruined.
In the 1980s and 1990s, sociologists such as Ulrich Beck, Anthony Giddens, and
Scott Lash introduced the concept of reflexive modernity and pointed to the gradual
fading of traditions and, consequently, the disappearance of the conventions that
governed common daily life. The absence or continued camouflage between good
and evil, between right and wrong, and between natural and artificial settles in and
persists. We are facing a crisis of conventional ways because we decided, governed,
and implemented everything wrong.
The industrial world has largely deviated from aesthetic creation, content to
imitate, using substitute materials that allow mass production at low cost. We are
already beyond a turning point. I would even say that we have already crossed the
Rubicon and there is no going back. In fact, we need to go back, but looking forward.
Risking to contradict myself, if designers were responsible for creating the world
we live in, maybe it is up to us to save it, now that we have entered the urgency of
the possible.
Design “was” fundamentally concerned with making, but it is time to think about
how design education should focus on an appropriate knowledge about business,
scientific methods, and technologies, and how people interact with the latter, beyond
developing advanced skills in drawing and prototyping [8].
Norman and Mayer [9] also note that design education should emphasize this
flexibility not only to act within other contexts of action, but also to develop the
discipline itself.
Preface I vii
If I were allowed to be intrinsically lyrical, these thoughts about design are what
allows it to partake in every area of human activity and what allows it to become
really interdisciplinary and this is the most “designerly” [10] idea we should have
concerning everyday life.
Lisbon, Portugal Carlos Rosa
References
1. Buchanan R (2009) Thinking about design: an historical perspective. In: Meijers A (ed)
Philosophy of technology and engineering sciences. pp 409–453. Elsevier North Holland,
Amsterdam; London; Boston
2. Santaella L, Nöth W (1998) Imagem, cognição, semiótica, mídia. Iluminuras, São Paulo
3. Santaella L (2012) Semiótica aplicada. Cengage Learning, São Paulo
4. Nöth W (1997) Representation in semiotics and in computer science. Semiótica, Berlin, vol
115, pp 203–215
5. Nöth W (2013) Semiótica visual. Tradução de Rodrigo Morais. Tríade Comunicação, Cultura
e Mídia—Revista do Programa de Pós-Graduação da Universidade de Sorocaba ISSN 2318-
5694. Sorocaba: Universidade de Sorocaba, vol 1, no 1, pp 13–40
6. Colapietro V (2014) Peirceeaabordagemdoself:umaperspectivasemióticasobrea
subjetividade humana. Intermeios, São Paulo
7. DeTienne A (2012) Time and the flow of signs: semiosis and chronogony. VI Advanced
seminar on Peirce’s philosophy and semiotics, São Paulo, no 15, ano XV, Livro 15, pp
39–57. Co-edição: Centro Internacional de Estudos Peirceanos, Programa de Estudos Pós-
Graduados em Comunicação e Semiótica, Programa de Pós- Graduação em Tecnologias da
Inteligência e Design Digital and Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo
8. Hernández-Ramírez R, Morais R, Rosa C (2021) Foundations, research, and transdisci-
plinarity: re-shaping education for the 21st century at a school of design and technology in
Portugal. In: Martins N, Brandão D, Moreira da Silva F (eds) Perspectives on design and
digital communication II. Springer Series in Design and Innovation, vol 14. Springer, Cham.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75867-7_17
9. Meyer MW, Norman D (2020) Changing design education for the 21st century. She Ji J Des
Econ Innov 6:13–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2019.12.002
10. Cross N (2006) Designerly ways of knowing. Springer-Verlag, London
Preface II
Design is everywhere, and its importance is undeniable. However, the social
dynamics, the diversity of practices, the multiplicity of fields of action and research,
as well as some controversies require a continuous exercise of debate and critical
reflection from the community, focused not only on the past and present, but, above
all, looking to the future.
Taking on the role of an active promoter of this discussion at an international level,
UNIDCOM/IADE—Research Unit in Design and Communication has, since 2003,
organized an international conference called, since 2011, Senses & Sensibility.And
it is, precisely, the best articles from the 10th edition of this conference, Senses &
Sensibility ’19: Lost in (G)localization that make up this work. The intention behind
the creation of this book is, therefore, to offer material for reflection on design, its
role, and contribution to society, according to various perspectives and frameworks.
Although the conference took place at the end of 2019, when little was yet known
about the new virus discovered in Wuhan, China, and that would become the cause
of the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme of this edition was strangely prophetic. It
challenged the community to discuss what role design was playing in the (un)balance
between global and local approaches that were beginning to clash in an increasingly
fluid world. What direction should be taken next to address the complex societal
problems threatening humanity?
To organize the conference, academics from all over the world were invited to
promote debates on major contemporary structuring design and design research
agenda themes, crossing borders between knowledge and areas, roughly following
Buchanan’s [1] four orders of design. This collaborative exercise resulted in twelve
tracks, leading to the seven parts making up this book: design for communication
and branding; design for new materials and new manufacturing technologies; design
for interaction; design for health and well-being; design for education; design for
culture; and design for society.
It is our ambition that this book may be useful not only in the academic sphere, in
particular within the scope of design teaching and research, but that it may also be
useful to design practitioners and all stakeholders, from different sectors of society,
ix
x Preface II
active in this vast disciplinary area. Finally, we also hope that it will be the catalyst
for a timely and necessary reflection on design’s role and impact on society.
We are grateful to the many people not only who helped us to make the conference
happen, but also who contributed to the organization of this book.
Thank you all so much for your involvement, commitment, and dedication. And,
above all, thank you for believing in the power of design.
Lisbon, Portugal Emilia Duarte
Reference
1. Buchanan R (2001) Design research and the new learning. Design Issues 17(4):3–23
Contents
Design for Communication and Branding
The Relevance of Communication Design and the Undeniable
Power of Brands ................................................... 3
Daniel Raposo, Fernando Oliveira, and Catarina Lélis
Reactivation of Graphic Memory and Technical Knowledge
of the Past as Factors of Industrial Competitiveness—The Case
Study of the Development of Cento & Vinte at Confiança’s
Letterpress Workshop ............................................. 11
Nuno Coelho
The Influence of Feminism on the Development and Branding
Strategies of Fashion Brands ....................................... 31
Camila Lamartine and Liliana Ribeiro
Moving Pictograms ................................................ 43
Maria Diaz, Carlos Rosa, and Liliana Faria
Materials and Manufacturing
Design for New Materials and New Manufacturing Technologies ....... 61
Pedro Oliveira, Valentina Rognoli, and Markus Holzbach
Biomimetic Application Potential of Agave sisalana Mechanical
Properties, Lightness, Resistance Strategies, and Life Cycle
for Digital Fabrication ............................................. 67
Rodrigo Araújo, Amilton Arruda, Jorge Lino Alves, Theska Soares,
Tarciana Andrade, and Emília Arruda
From Agricultural Waste to Microbial Growth and (G)Local
Resilience ......................................................... 81
Nitzan Cohen, Emma Sicher, and Seçil U˘gur Yavuz
xi
xii Contents
Design for Interaction
Should Technology Be [just] Delightful? ............................. 95
Rodrigo Hernández-Ramírez, Liene Jakobsone, Thomas Behrens,
and Teresa Chambel
User Experience of Real and Virtual Products: a Comparison
of Perceived Product Qualities ...................................... 105
Danny Franzreb, Alexander Warth, and Kai Futternecht
MASAL: Bridging Between Two Cultures Through Storytelling
with an Interactive E-textile Toy .................................... 127
Seçil U˘gur Yavuz
A Semiotic and Usability Analysis of Diegetic UI: Metro—Last
Light ............................................................. 141
Guilherme Doval, Flávio Almeida, and Luan Nesi
Age Ratings for Tabletop GamesUsage in Brazil Analysis
and Suggestion of New Criteria ..................................... 155
João Léste and Claudia Mont’Alvão
Design Delight: An Experiential Quality Framework ................. 169
Omar Sosa-Tzec
Social Smart Urban Environment: A Process that Needs to Be
Disrupted to Improve the User Experience ........................... 181
Cristina Caramelo Gomes
Design for Health and Wellbeing
The Future of Design for Health and Wellbeing ....................... 195
Louise Kiernan, Ana Correia de Barros, Teresa Cotrim,
and Paul Chamberlain
Pain[off]. A Synaesthetic Design Probe is Used to Configure
Sensory Conditions to Reduce Pain in Hospitals ...................... 203
Davide Antonio Gambera, Dina Riccò, and Emília Duarte
Neurosurgery Training Tool. Design as Facilitator Between
Disciplines for the Improvement of Medical Devices .................. 221
Angela Giambattista
Co-designing Resources for Knowledge-Based Self-reflection
for People Living with Parkinson’s Disease to Better Enable
Independent Living ................................................ 237
Joe Langley, Rebecca Partridge, Ursula Ankeny, Gemma Wheeler,
and Camille Carroll
Contents xiii
Design for Education
Design Education: A Trend in the Right Direction… .................. 255
Nicos Souleles, Violeta Clemente, and Naz A. G. Z. Börekçi
Teaching and Learning Soft Skills in Design Education,
Opportunities and Challenges: A Literature Review .................. 261
Ana Paula Nazaré de Freitas and Rita Assoreira Almendra
Can the Pedagogy of Sheila Levrant de Bretteville be Considered
a Relevant Model for Adapting Design Education to Global
and Local Contexts? ............................................... 273
Paul David Hardman and Nuno Coelho
Idea Generation Using the Fictionation Design Tool
in an Interactive Prototyping Course for Industrial Designers ......... 287
Ümit Bayırlı, ˙
Ismail Yavuz Paksoy, and Naz A. G. Z. Börekçi
The Value of Design Education for Other Fields: Using Design
Tools to Teach Psychology .......................................... 303
Mafalda Casais
Design for Culture
Design for Culture ................................................. 323
Helena Souto, Gabriele Oropallo, and Helena Barbosa
Port Wine Visual Communication: Traces of Posters from the Past
in the Current Urban Environment ................................. 331
Mariana Almeida and Helena Barbosa
Representation Between Waves of Change: A Visual Analysis
of the Advertisement of Female Surfers .............................. 365
Antonia Sophia Hinz, Flávio Almeida, and Anabela Couto
Letters to Eternity: Typefaces of the Prazeres Cemetery ............... 379
Gonçalo Falcão
Anti-Amnesia: Developing a Collaborative e-learning and Digital
Archive Platform Towards Contributing to the Preservation
and Revitalization of Handicrafts Industries ......................... 393
Nuno Martins, Heitor Alvelos, Susana Barreto, Abhishek Chatterjeed,
Eliana Penedos-Santiago, Mariana Quintela, and Cláudia Lima
Design for Society
Design for Society ................................................. 405
Sara Gancho, Isabel Farinha, Robin Teigland, Paula Trigueiros,
Teresa Franqueira, and Nuno Sá Leal
xiv Contents
Castelo Branco Embroidery—Tradition and Innovation ............... 417
Alexandra Cruchinho, Ana Sofia Marcelo, Fernando Raposo,
and Paula Peres
Playponics in India—Local Hydroponics Playground Gardens
Utilising Kinaesthetic Learning to Promote Global Sustainable
Practices .......................................................... 435
Avika Sood, Heath Reed, and Andy Stanton
User-Oriented Challenges of Smart Mobility: An Analysis of Focus
Group to Identify User Behaviour ................................... 445
Sevgi Gaye Ayanoglu, Madalena Pereira, and Emília Duarte
Preventing Single-Use of Plastic Packaging. Design Strategies
for Circular Business Models: Refill, Reuse and Recycle ............... 459
Ana Espada, Isabel Farinha, and Carlos A. M. Duarte
Social Engagement and Cultural Adaptation of Young Refugees
Through Gaming and Playful Design ................................ 473
Vanessa Improta and Ana Margarida Ferreira
Dynamic Ride Sharing as an Alternative Transportation Mode
for Commuting Among METU Campus and Eryaman ................ 485
Mehmet Erdi Özgürlük and Ismail Yavuz Paksoy
Inclusive Design as Promoter of Social Transformations:
Understanding Androgyny in Contemporary Society ................. 499
Ana Catarina Carvalho Ferreira, João Carlos Monteiro Martins,
and Maria Antonieta Vaz de Morais
Addressing Glocalization Challenges Through Design-Driven
Innovation Approaches ............................................ 513
Rui Patrício and António Moreira
Biomimetic Application Potential
of Agave sisalana Mechanical Properties,
Lightness, Resistance Strategies, and Life
Cycle for Digital Fabrication
Rodrigo Araújo, Amilton Arruda, Jorge Lino Alves, Theska Soares,
Tarciana Andrade, and Emília Arruda
Abstract This research seeks to understand which elements are responsible for the
mechanical properties of Agave sisalana and how these properties can conform to
lightweight, resilient structures and materials for bio-inspired additive manufacturing
processes with the possibility of design innovation and sustainability through of
multidisciplinary research involving biomimetics, biology, materials processing and
3D printing. Environmental issues, economics of matter and energy; Difficult access
to biodegradable materials, lack of adaptation to the natural processes of recycling
and reintegration into the natural cycle of the environment are points related to the
research problem. We try to answer the problem question by aligning biomimetic
processes, digital fabrication and design of bio-inspired materials. We try to answer
the problem question by aligning biomimetic processes, digital fabrication and design
of bio-inspired materials. It is believe that it is possible to emulate the strategies of
lightness and strength of the cell wall structure of the Agave floral stem in bio-inspired
digital artifacts.
Keywords Biomimicry ·Agave ·Digital fabrication
1 Introduction
Bio-inspired problem-solving research has focused on the development of methods
and tools for the systematic use and application of natural element information. The
methodological approach in biomimetics aims to study the strategies of nature, taking
it as a principle and inspiration for solving design problems. Biological research
R. Araújo (B)·A. Arruda ·T. Soares ·E. Arruda
PPGDesign & PPGBV, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brasil
J. Lino Alves
INEGI, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
T. Andrade
CIAUD, Faculdade de Arquitetura, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022
E. Duarte and C. Rosa (eds.), Developments in Design Research and Practice,
Springer Series in Design and Innovation 17,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86596- 2_6
67
68 R. Araújo et al.
favors ecological performance and allows defining metrics on the creation of bio-
inspired shapes and materials [1,2]. Possibilities given by the latest technologies,
production systems and development of new structures and materials.
The field of material design as a science and technology demand for innova-
tion with the advancement of knowledge in materials science and technology has
made it possible to manipulate and create new materials with better properties for
specific applications and biomimetics has strongly contributed to sustainable solu-
tions [3]. With the advent of additive manufacturing technologies and the design of
new materials for 3D printing, the possibilities for the emergence of new composite
materials with different properties and possibilities for innovation in sustainability
have steadily increased [4]. Biomimetics aims to bridge this gap by increasing the
dimensionality of the design space by emulating strategies for bio-inspired structures,
materials and bio-inspired additive manufacturing. This holistic view considers the
research of biology, computing parametric and manufacturing materials as insepa-
rable from the design dimensions, resulting in ecological artifacts from the beginning
[5]. The main developments in biologically inspired structure and material solutions
mainly related to the physical and mechanical properties of the material or, alterna-
tively, to the structural characteristics of the material or structure constructed with
the material. This approach is successful when relating function to the characteristics
of the biological structure as well as the properties of the biological material [3].
Not only for environmental reasons, but also for technical and economic reasons,
vegetable fibers have been gaining ground in the industry. Among the many ligno-
cellulosic fibers that have been gaining ground, Agave sisalana, produced in North-
eastern Brazil, has technical, economic and environmental advantages. It has extreme
value, mainly due to its excellent mechanical properties, presenting mechanical
behavior similar to synthetic fibers in relation to tensile strength [6]. In addition,
the plant stem has strategies of lightness and resistance, these functions provided by
the combination of structural characteristics and material properties. The study and
emulation of the structure and function of cell walls combined with the possibilities
of development of a bio-inspired material is the focus of this article. The study of cell
structure and the materials that make up the walls of Agave fibers presents strate-
gies of lightness, resistance and mechanical properties with potential for biomimetic
application to structures and bio-inspired material.
2 Methodological Approach
A first time related to the research literature on the themes; parallel to the micro-
scopic investigation and abstraction of the agave cell wall lightness and resistance
strategies through the analysis and production of scanning and transmission elec-
tron micrographs. Another moment related to the emulation of agave lightness and
resistance strategies through modeling processes of parametric structures with appli-
cation in artifacts. Another step is to study the properties of the natural model for
the development of a biodegradable composite material, produced with the elements
Biomimetic Application Potential of Agave sisalana Mechanical … 69
Fig. 1 Biology to design
(Biomimicry
Thinking—DesignLens) [1]
that make up the agave cell walls for the production of a filament for use in addi-
tive manufacturing 3D printers. It is a multidisciplinary research, permeating the
field of biomimetics, biology, design, digital manufacturing processes and material
handling. We used an approach called Biology to Design (Biomimicry Thinking—
Biomimicry DesignLens) following the phases according to the need of the project
when the process is configured from a biological inspiration and seeks to give direc-
tion to the development of some project or artifact and/or bioinspired materials [1]
(Fig. 1).
The process begins in the phase of discovery of the natural model where is had
prior knowledge of the strategies of lightness and resistance. The second moment
allocated in the abstraction phase of biological strategies, seeking an application area
for Agave strategies. Following is the identification of the necessary functions, later
the definition of the scope of the research context (definition of the problem). The
next step is to create bio-inspired ideas for emulation in lightweight, resilient, energy-
optimized structures, including the study of a bio-inspired 3D printing material. Then
comes the incorporation of the principles of life, which are principles of sustainability.
The emulation phase represents the principles, patterns, strategies and functions
found in nature that can inspire design. The last step is related to the materialization
and prototyping of ideas. The process evaluation should verify compliance with the
life principles listed in the process at the beginning of the project/research. Iterative
replication cycles imply better results.
70 R. Araújo et al.
3 Biomimicry
Through biomimetics, we are learning to emulate natural forms, processes and eco-
systems to create more sustainable designs. Imitating these more refined designs for
the planet can help humans move toward technologies that consume less energy,
reduce material use, reject toxins, and function as a system for creating life-friendly
conditions [1,2]. According to literature [7], bio-inspiration using insights into the
role of biological systems in the development of new engineering concepts has
already established itself as a successful and rapidly growing field of science. Possi-
bilities are given by the latest technologies, that is, production systems and develop-
ment of new structures and materials. The area of material design as a science and
technology demand for innovation with the advancement of knowledge in materials
science and technology has made it possible to manipulate and create new mate-
rials with better properties for specific applications and biomimetics has contributed
greatly in this area for sustainable solutions [7].
Bio utilization (use of biological raw material) is feasible as long as it favors the
construction of an objective aiming at the sustainability of the project, adapting to
local realities and presenting benefits (or reduction of damages) to the ecosystem
in its use, in effort to meet certain biologically inspired principles. This approach
is successful when relating function to the characteristics of the biological structure
as well as the properties of the biological material [3]. Sustainability is a strong
point in the development of innovations by making direct use of biological materials
solutions as they are sustainable in themselves. In fact, biological systems made from
biological materials do not create waste or irreversible damage to the ecosystem. On
the contrary, they are of great relevance as they enrich and sustain the ecosystem
in which they operate. In addition, biological structures provide a wide range of
properties with minimal use and flow of materials and energy, and generate fully
recyclable products.
Biomimetic artifacts inserted in digital fabrication using bio-inspired material
provide excellent biological strategies and models, allowing to elaborate new ques-
tions and answer questions about the relationship of cellular structure and its mate-
rials. It is precisely the transfer of function from biology to artifacts that allows
biomimetics to emulate and test hypotheses of the biological sciences; otherwise
there is a danger of blindly copying or imitating design principles without further
knowledge of the actual functions of the forms and composition of the natural model.
3.1 Bio-inspired Structure–Function-Material Relationships
and Digital Fabrication
The design of many successful products can be considered as the result of a successful
relationship with the natural forms and the phenomena-functions contemplated in
them [8]. Structure–function relationships can also provide a fertile platform for
Biomimetic Application Potential of Agave sisalana Mechanical … 71
cooperation between engineers and biologists. This relationship is inherent in both
biological and engineering thinking and may be a common denominator between the
two disciplines [9].
In 1978, Bonsiepe defines the morphological analogy as the experimental search
for elaborate models of the translation of structural and formal characteristics to be
transposed into projects [10]. Thus, authors [11] state that this kind of analogy seeks
to study and analyze why the natural form, the interrelationships of its geometry,
observing and understanding its textures, paying attention to the characteristics of
the form, parts and components, details of some part at macro or microscopic level,
as well as for their structural forms. The idea that function fits form or structure is
one of the basic design principles in nature and well accepted in both biology and
design literature.
Innovative ideas are emerging from research on systems and natural properties that
do not always translate only in appearance and aesthetics, but that the natural form
also favors the gain in efficiency [11]. Regarding functional morphology, the principle
of form and function is the first and oldest of the strands of the development of artifacts
based on natural organisms and focuses on the relationship between biological forms
or structures and their functions [12]. Figure 2(left) illustrates how highly efficient
structures in nature can provide structural principles that can be applied to reduce
weight by up to 70% in structures such as boat rails, automotive pillars and bicycle
frames. This research presents concepts such as asymmetrically radiated joints and
automatic shell and volume reinforcement, where the size and geometry of each cell
is adapted to the load. Smaller, more closed cells in which the load is greater becomes
larger and more open cells, where smaller loads are applied [13].
According to authors [12], some scientific observations of nature have acted in
both the macroscopic and microscopic fields. Technical implementations within the
macroscopic dimension have been successful in observing and using avail-able tech-
niques, this works especially well when the desired function is more closely related
to its shape or structure and less to the forming material. Its technical realization in a
non-biological material does not change that, the same goes for structures of various
formal configurations.
The ELiSE Company has developed a bio-inspired parametric structure where
automatic hardening of casings and volumes is directly related to the size and geom-
etry of each cell and is tailored to the load—for example, smaller, more closed cells
Fig. 2 ELiSE projects at (https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/ibex-2017-show-report)-
Leidenfrost [13]
72 R. Araújo et al.
Fig. 3 Above: https://natitinov.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/corkscrew-willow-xylem-sem-802
01781-l.jpg?w=656 (2012); http://sciencewise.anu.edu.au/articles/timbers (2007); below: https://
www.engineering.com/3DPrinting/3DPrintingArticles/ArticleID/7905/New-Composite-Resins-
Could-Lead-to-Larger-Stronger-3D-Printed-Structures.aspx (2014)
where the load is larger into larger and more open cells where loading is minimal
[13].
The (Fig. 3-above) presents scanning electron micrographs of the light and resis-
tant cellular structure of Balsa wood. The (Fig. 3-below) presents a bioinspired
approach in the mechanical properties of balsa wood, the emulation of the struc-
ture and materials represent the transfer of function of the lightness and resistance
strategies, together with the mechanical properties of the balsa materials to digital
fabrication. The 3D printing material is a composite composed of resin and carbon
fibers to maintain structural strength without excessive weight [14].
Biological inspiration should aim to extract nature’s good designs and implement
them in a way that adds value and functionality to our mechanical designs. Authors
points to a basic principle of patterns of tubular structures present in nature. Such
structures are characterized by a hollow cylinder, rod or tube. The hollow cylinder
appears in bird feathers, flower stalks, bamboos and reeds, grain stalks, insect limbs,
and long human bones, such as the femur, most of the houses of the earth’s dwellers
have a tubular design. The hollow cylinder provides stability against bending and
deformation and is adjusted to resist bending in all directions. In the case of repeated
pipe structures, each pipe in the arrangement acts as a single pipe, distributing stresses
throughout the structure optimizing resistance to mechanical stress [9].
Although biological and technological functions are derived from different termi-
nologies, structures are visual and therefore less subordinated to different interpreta-
tions. Structure–function patterns, in particular, can abstract nature’s design solutions
Biomimetic Application Potential of Agave sisalana Mechanical … 73
to various problems. These frameworks have inspired a new generation of innova-
tive technologies in the science, engineering and design community. As well as the
microscopic structure of cells/fibers present in plant tissue of Agave sisalana [15].
3.2 Bio-inspired Materials and 3D Printing
In the product development process, with 3D printing, high part complexity can be
achieved at no additional cost while still making use of raw material efficiently and
more sustainable material choices. Recent developments in 3D printing with regard
to the use of natural materials have been analyzed [16]. According to the authors,
biological printing materials, such as wood filament, require careful use of printer
and media usage specifications for the most efficient and economical printing result.
Wood printing filaments require very fine fiber particles to ensure a smooth printing
process without nozzle blockage.
Different ways of incorporating the characteristics and properties of wood in
materials for bio-inspired additive manufacturing are described [16], such as the
development of bio-based filaments (Fig. 4). 3D related to biological materials will
occupy the market niche, for example for more sustainable and complex format
products. Agave sisalana fibers, as well as wood fibers, have application potential
because they have properties and benefits for the market and the environment.
4 Agave sisalana
Brazil is the world’s largest producer of Agave (or Sisal), accounting for about 70%
of the world hard fiber market. Agave sisalana is the most commercialized species,
common in the northeastern region of Brazil. It is an exotic and invasive plant of
dunes and sandbank of the Brazilian coast, an introduced species, commonly found
in several states. Harms the establishment and development of native flora species
and does not provide food for local fauna [17] (Fig. 5).
Fig. 4 Left and center images: https://tobuya3dprinter.com/expect-3d-printing-wood/#prettyPhoto
(2015); Image on the right: @pa_Hugron (2018)
74 R. Araújo et al.
Fig. 5 Picture of Agave sisalana and her floral stem. Image on the right: Agave fibers grinded from
the floral stem that can use as reinforcement for 3D printing materials, Authors (2019)
The plant has a life cycle that can range from 7 to 10 years, according to the Inva-
sive Species Specialist Group.—ISSG (Global Invasive Species Database) (2019)
[18]. According to literature, the floral scape can reach from six to eight meters in
height. Because it is a monocarpic plant, it blooms only once during the growing
season, dying later. At the end of their useful life, these materials are collected and
reconfigured by other organisms, repeatedly recycled with the energy of the sun [19].
The plant stem has no commercial value comparable to leaf fiber. The ideal state
for use as a raw material is when the plant dries and dies naturally, ending the life cycle
of seven to twelve years. Authors explains that this way there is no deforestation,
on the contrary, the removal of the environment in this region becomes a beneficial
practice for the local biome, because it is an invasive species that does not serve as
food in this ecosystem [17].
Sisal fibers stand out for their widespread domestic, industrial and, more recently,
reinforcement of polymer composites [20].
From an anatomical point of view, sisal fibers are structural cells whose function
is to support and stiffen the leaves and stem. When compared to other natural fibers,
Sisal fibers have superior strength and good durability [21]. As the fibers come
from the leaves and are also present in the pseudostem of the plant, their chemical
constitution is basically formed by the same compounds present in the leaves, having
in its chemical composition cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin and waxes [15,
22,23] (Fig. 6).
Studies by several authors who estimated the percentage of the elements that
make up the sisal fiber. It pointed out that the fibers can contain 65.8–73% cellulose,
12–13% hemicellulose, 9.9–11% lignin and 0.8–2% pectin [6].
Sisal fibers have a lignocellulosic chemical composition, they influence fiber resis-
tance [25]. Lignin influences the structure, properties, morphology and flexibility of
lignocellulosic fibers. Cellulose, on the other hand, is the polymer that gives plant
fibers excellent breakage and elongation properties. In this way, the lignocellulosic
chemical composition directly interferes with the strength of the fiber [6].
Among the most relevant elements for fiber, calcium stands out for being a struc-
tural component of the cell wall, considering that the wall resistance established by
its composition based on cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin contents, present in the
Biomimetic Application Potential of Agave sisalana Mechanical … 75
Fig. 6 Cell wall composition. Adapted from Taiz and Zeiger [24]
composition of the plant cell walls. Some authors report that P and K should consid-
ered nutritional components of great relevance when considering the fiber strength
since phosphorus tends to increase the fiber length and potassium the amount of
cellulose. Increments to these elements are important for greater fiber resistance,
reflecting improvements in fiber length, length uniformity, and thickness [6].
Sisal fiber reinforced composites stand out for their high impact strength and
good tensile and flexural strength properties. This attributed to the fact that sisal
fiber has one of the highest values of modulus of elasticity and mechanical strength
among natural fibers [23]. Comparative studies were made with vegetable fibers
and polymeric fibers, including sisal and other natural fibers and polypropylene
(PP) fibers. Studies have shown that sisal fibers have a higher modulus of elasticity,
consequently greater rigidity than vegetable fibers, such as coconut bagasse and sugar
cane, as well as polypropylene fibers. The breaking and elongation resistance also
related due to the intermolecular forces between the cellulose chains [6].
In this sense, the authors state that sisal fibers can replace the fiberglass used to
reinforce polymer composites in the manufacture of parts produced by various manu-
facturing processes, such as injection molding, lamination, resin transfer molding,
among other utilities such as application in digital fabrication and 3D printing due
to high mechanical strength and lightness [6]. The investigation of the chemical and
mechanical properties of agave fibers has potential for emulation of a bioinspired
material in the strategies of lightness and resistance, to be used as input for 3D
printers having biodegradation conditions.
4.1 Plant Anatomy
The microscopic dimension allows the observation of nature’s structures at advanced
levels of detail. A recurring example represented by the plant cellular anatomy of
plants in general, which reveals compacted bundles of differentiated vessels and
cells. The geometric arrangement and compacted integration produce a complex,
strong and flexible structure [12]. All cells have a structural role in addition to other
76 R. Araújo et al.
Fig. 7 SEM of Agave sisalana fibers showing tubular structures and geometric patterns. Sources
Left and Center Images: Authors (2019); image on the right: cross-sectional view of sisal fiber
Martins et al. [26]
functions. Figure 7shows SEM images of Agave sisalana showing such a geometric
arrangement.
The functions of plant systems depend on the structures, the structural form of the
various tissues, such as mechanical properties, etc. May have different formats: poly-
hedral; cylindrical or spherical, but in general, are multifaceted isodiametric cells. It
has multiple faces, that is, many sides having approximately the same dimensions.
The cell wall that delimits a cell may also vary in thickness, ornamentation and
frequency of holes, etc. Despite this morphological diversity, cell walls commonly
classified into two main types, primary and secondary. Primary cell walls are typi-
cally thin. Secondary cell walls are thicker and more resistant than primary cells,
xylem cells, such as those found in wood, are notable for having highly thickened
lignin-reinforced secondary walls [24].
4.2 Potential for Applying Agave Properties
A study of the cell wall structure of the agave plant stem tissue was carried out to
understand how their strategies of lightness and resistance are presented. It was found
that the agave plant has such biological strategies. Using microscopy techniques, one
can see the structural organization of the arrangement of lignocellulosic cells present
in agave plant tissue (Fig. 8).
Fig. 8 Left and center, SEM images from agave. Image at right: digital parametric modeling of
agave’s lightness and resistance strategy. Authors (2019)
Biomimetic Application Potential of Agave sisalana Mechanical … 77
SEM images of Agave’s cellular structure illustrate the variation of different
cell organizations in successive hierarchies. Cells have a structural role in addi-
tion to other functions. The fibers have as one of the main functions, to support
the vegetable, arranged in the form of bundles or strands, scattered throughout the
primary body of the plant. Can come in many forms. The fibers that arranged in
overlapping rows are elongated spindle cells that have thicker walls. These fibers are
supporting cells responsible for stiffness and flexibility properties. The orientation
of the fibers deposited in parallel is one of the significant factors for the mechanical
properties of the plant. This structural organization results in greater tensile strength
[15].
The cell wall structure of Agave plant tissue presents the strategies needed for
lightness and resistance functions with optimization of matter and energy. Among
other factors, the deposition of lignin (structural natural polymer responsible for
the stiffness of plant cells) occurs in minimal amounts to provide the plant with
mechanical support and strength. These properties applied in the development of a
bio-inspired generic structure can directed to a range of artifacts that require light
and resistant structures.
A study [15] was carried out in 2015 with the objective of developing a biomimetic
structure inspired by the configuration of lignocellulosic cell walls of agave, for the
emulation of biological strategies in materialized artifacts. Digital modeling, para-
metric design, and 3D printing processes (Fig. 8) enabled alignment with Agave’s
growth and development principles, which deposit raw material and energy by
utilizing the principle of resource maximization while maintaining its mechanical
properties efficient for its functions. Figure 8shows the potential emulation of the
formal/functional structure of Agave cell walls. Further investigation of the materials
that make up the cell walls of agave/sisal fibers helps to understand which elements
are responsible for the mechanical properties and how these properties they can
be formed into a lightweight and biodegradable lightweight material for additive
manufacturing processes and innovation in sustainability.
5 Conclusions
Biomimetic research and application is an effective means for bio-inspired innova-
tions following nature’s model. Understanding why the agave floral scape features
strategies of lightness and endurance was the starting point. Therefore, it was neces-
sary to investigate at a micro scale the cellular structure that make up the floral tassel
of the plant through the study of biology in plant anatomy. Information about Agave’s
cellular anatomy can greatly contribute to achieving optimum design of lightweight,
resilient structures with low energy and matter consumption. Based on these data,
the choice of agave as a natural element and source of inspiration is justified in line
with the principles of biomimetics and sustainability.
78 R. Araújo et al.
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