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Philip passed the shoe around the table. I hefted it in my hand, marveling
how light it was. Despite the shoe's appeal as an attention-grabbing fashion
statement, it was a marvelous application of durable, engineering-grade poly-
mer and Within's sophisticated computer algorithms.
Anthony Ruto, Within's Chief Technology Oficer, was also visiting the
College that afternoon. Anthony explained that he and Ross adapted one of
the design algorithms that Within's designers ordinarily used to make custom
orthopedic medical implants such as artiicial hip joints. To meet the design
challenge to create a shoe that would be light in weight but durable, Anthony
and Ross adjusted the orthopedic algorithm to optimize the structure and
shape of the shoe soles.
After a few months of work and trial and error, Anthony and Ross designed
and printed shoes that were attractive to look at, were light in weight, com-
fortable and durable. Anthony pointed out that the shoe's soles embodied the
generative design process in action: the soles were formed in a lattice-like
structure. This custom-design lattice was what enabled the shoes to be light
in weight, yet more durable than a solid, factory-issue rubber sole.
Many of us, when we hear the word “lattice,” imagine a rose garden or
green, lowery vines climbing upwards on a white, grid-like structure. That's
a two-dimensional lattice. Two-dimensional lattices are easy to produce using
conventional manufacturing methods. However, until 3D printing appeared on
the design scene, three-dimensional lattices were all but impossible to produce.
Lattices are a basic engineering structure that's adapted for a broad range
of applications, similar to the way simple raw dough serves as the foundation
for elaborate pastries. Lattice structures are a classic example of generative
design. They're designed by a computer algorithm that automatically gener-
ates a regularly repeating, semi-regularly repeating or random structure. Some
three-dimensional lattice structures have an angular internal geometry formed
from tiny, repeating regular shapes (such as three-dimensional triangles) while
others look like random ibrous tangles.
After Ross inished his presentation, we turned to the second shoe on the
table. This shoe, also 3D printed, was an open-toed woman's sandal with an
astronomically high off-white wedge heel and a smooth and peach colored
upper. This shoe was designed by student Hoon Chung, also under Philip's
mentorship. Hoon explained that his design project took a different approach,
focusing less on the internal structure and durability of the shoe and more on
its market appeal and manufacturing process.
