Generating a variable stiffness structure based on a personal pressure map

1 . A computer-implemented method of generating one or more variable stiffness structures, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of thicknesses for a plurality of portions of a variable stiffness structure;

receiving, from a physical pressure mapper device, a plurality of pressures applied to a surface of the plurality of portions, wherein each pressure of the plurality of pressures is measured by a separate individual pressure sensor included in the physical pressure mapper device;

performing a plurality of non-linear simulations of at least a subset of the plurality of portions to generate a loft surface, wherein the loft surface is a three-dimensional surface that depicts one or more values for one or more physical attributes of a structural member of a lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions as a function of the plurality of thicknesses for the plurality of portions and the plurality of pressures received from the physical pressure mapper device;

determining, based on the loft surface, one or more second values for the one or more physical attributes of the structural member of the lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions based on at least a subset of the plurality of thicknesses and at least a subset of the plurality of pressures; and

automatically generating, via a software application, a three-dimensional (3D) design in a format suitable for processing by a 3D printer for at least part of the variable stiffness structure, wherein the structural member of the lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions has the one or more second values for the one or more physical attributes.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein, prior to being determined, the one or more values for the one or more physical attributes are computed based on a first target displacement of the surface of the plurality of portions that occurs when an average pressure is applied to a respective surface of each portion of the plurality of portions of the variable stiffness structure.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the first target displacement of the surface is based on a thickness of a first portion and the average pressure applied to a surface of the first portion.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the first target displacement is selected to reduce a differential between a first resultant pressure that is applied to a surface of a first portion and a second resultant pressure that is applied to a surface of a second portion of the variable stiffness structure that is adjacent to the first portion.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the first resultant pressure and the second resultant pressure result when a user contacts the variable stiffness structure and applies the plurality of pressures to the surface of the plurality of portions.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the variable stiffness structure comprises the lattice structure that includes the plurality of portions.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein a first portion of the variable stiffness structure comprises a unit cell of the lattice structure.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more physical attributes comprises a physical attribute of the unit cell.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the physical attribute of the unit cell comprises one of a beam diameter or a cell wall thickness.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printer processes the 3D design and performs an additive manufacturing process using a first material to fabricate a first physical object having the lattice structure and corresponding to a first portion of the 3D design using the first material, wherein, once formed, at least one structural member of the first physical object has the one or more second values for the one or more physical attributes.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the lattice structure comprises a plurality of unit cells each having a plurality of cell walls, and the one or more values for the one or more physical attributes for each portion of the plurality of portions comprise one or more values for a cell wall thickness for one or more unit cells of each portion.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein performing the plurality of non-linear simulations to generate the loft surface comprises:

determining a first target displacement for a first portion included in the plurality of portions based on a predefined fraction of a maximum average pressure to be applied to the variable stiffness structure;

performing a first non-linear simulation, via finite element analysis, of the first portion to determine one or more third values for the one or more physical attributes associated with the first portion based on the first target displacement and the predefined fraction of the maximum average pressure;

determining a second target displacement for the first portion based on the maximum average pressure to be applied to the variable stiffness structure;

performing a second non-linear simulation, via finite element analysis, of the first portion to determine one or more fourth values for the one or more physical attributes associated with the first portion based on the second target displacement and the maximum average pressure; and

generating the loft surface based on the one or more third values and the one or more fourth values for the one or more physical attributes.

13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

determining a plurality of thicknesses for a plurality of portions of a variable stiffness structure;

receiving, from a physical pressure mapper device, a plurality of pressures applied to a surface of the plurality of portions, wherein each pressure of the plurality of pressures is measured by a separate individual pressure sensor included in the physical pressure mapper device;

performing a plurality of non-linear simulations of at least a subset of the plurality of portions to generate a loft surface, wherein the loft surface is a three-dimensional surface that depicts one or more values for one or more physical attributes of a structural member of a lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions as a function of the plurality of thicknesses for the plurality of portions and the plurality of pressures received from the physical pressure mapper device;

determining, based on the loft surface, one or more second values for the one or more physical attributes of the structural member of the lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions based on at least a subset of the plurality of thicknesses and at least a subset of the plurality of pressures; and

automatically generating, via a software application, a three-dimensional (3D) design in a format suitable for processing by a 3D printer for at least part of the variable stiffness structure, wherein the structural member of the lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions has the one or more values for the one or more physical attributes.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the step of causing the 3D printer to process the 3D design and perform an additive manufacturing process using a first material to fabricate a first physical object having the lattice structure and corresponding to a first portion of the variable stiffness structure using the first material, wherein, once formed, at least one structural member of the first physical object has the one or more second values for the one or more physical attributes.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the plurality of pressures that are to be applied to the surface of the plurality of portions comprises determining a pressure value from a plurality of measured pressure values, wherein each measured pressure values is associated with a different location on the variable stiffness structure.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein a first portion is included in the plurality of portions of the variable stiffness structure, and the steps of determining the plurality of thicknesses, determining the plurality of pressures, performing the plurality of non-linear simulations, determining the one or more values for the one or more physical attributes, and automatically generating are performed for each portion included in the plurality of portions other than the first portion.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein, prior to being determined, the one or more values for the one or more physical attributes are computed based on a first target displacement of the surface of the plurality of portions that occurs when an average pressure is applied to a respective surface of each portion of the plurality of portions of a variable stiffness structure.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the first target displacement of the surface is based on a thickness of a first portion and the average pressure applied to a surface of the first portion.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the first target displacement is selected to reduce a differential between a first resultant pressure that is applied to a surface of a first portion and a second resultant pressure that is applied to a surface of a second portion of the variable stiffness structure that is adjacent to the first portion.

20 . A system, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor that is coupled to the memory and is configured to perform the steps of, upon executing the instructions:

determining a plurality of thicknesses for a plurality of portions of a variable stiffness structure;

receiving, from a physical pressure mapper device, a plurality of pressures applied to a surface of the plurality of portions, wherein each pressure of the plurality of pressures is measured by a separate individual pressure sensor included in the physical pressure mapper device;

performing a plurality of non-linear simulations of at least a subset of the plurality of portions to generate a loft surface, wherein the loft surface is a three-dimensional surface that depicts one or more values for one or more physical attributes of a structural member of a lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions as a function of the plurality of thicknesses for the plurality of portions and the plurality of pressures received from the physical pressure mapper device;

determining, based on the loft surface, one or more second values for the one or more physical attributes of the structural member of the lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions based on at least a subset of the plurality of thicknesses and at least a subset of the plurality of pressures; and

automatically generating, via a software application, a three-dimensional (3D) design in a format suitable for processing by a 3D printer for at least part of the variable stiffness structure, wherein the structural member of the lattice structure for each portion of the plurality of portions has the one or more values for the one or more physical attributes.

21 . The system of claim 20 , further comprising the 3D printer, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of causing the 3D printer to process the 3D design and perform an additive manufacturing process using a first material to fabricate a first physical object having the lattice structure and corresponding to a first portion of the 3D design using the first material, wherein, once formed, at least one structural member of the first physical object has the one or more second values for the one or more physical attributes.