Tensor Field-guided 3D Multi-scale Structural Synthesis

• Applicant: Dr. Dennis Bukenberger
• Subject Area: Image and Language Processing, Computer Graphics and Visualisation, Human Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous and Wearable Computing
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 577775355

Lightweight yet strong structures are essential in many fields – from airplanes and cars to buildings and consumer products. The challenge is always the same: how can we use less material while keeping the strength and safety of the design? Today, the dominant method is Topology Optimization (TO), a computer technique that searches for the best way to place material within a shape. While powerful, current TO methods are often too slow for practical 3D applications, produce rough and unrealistic results, and usually require extensive post-processing before anything can actually be manufactured, i.e., with 3D printers. Our project explores a fundamentally new approach. Instead of relying on heavy and slow simulations, we use geometry-based methods that directly transform how forces and stresses flow through a material into usable designs. The idea is inspired by classical engineering insights: efficient structures naturally align with stress directions. Using this principle, we aim to create Voronoi-based cellular structures that follow these stress fields with high precision. This approach offers several advantages: Speed: Once the stress field is calculated, we can generate optimized structures in near real time, opening the door to interactive design tools. Strength: The resulting designs are as stiff as state-of-the-art optimization results, but with much cleaner geometry. Manufacturability: Because we build structures directly as walls or cells rather than rough voxel grids, they are immediately more suitable for modern digital manufacturing. We will advance this concept in two directions: (1) pushing towards real-time, interactive design with strength comparable to classical optimization, and (2) developing it as a de-homogenization strategy, i.e. a way to translate optimization results into manufacturable, stress-aligned geometries. Together, these steps will bridge the gap between theory and practice, producing lightweight, high-performance structures that are computationally efficient and ready to manufacture.

• DFG Programme: Fellowship
• International Connection: Netherlands
• Host: Professor Dr. Jun Wu