Electrospun Fields: 3D Nano-Fiber Material Computation as Design Method 43

Electrospun Fields presents a material–computational approach to design in which form emerges through the interaction of matter, electric fields, and computation rather than through explicit geometric prescription. Departing from geometry-driven fabrication paradigms, this work explores robotic electrospinning of biodegradable nanofibers onto three-dimensional conductive structures, treating electrospinning as a spatial, field-based modeling process. Bio-compatible materials—including keratin, silk, and biodegradable synthetic polymers—are investigated to establish an operating envelope for material-driven form generation.

Through systematic studies of scaffold geometry, we show that topological curvature plays a critical role in material accumulation: while convex geometries support consistent deposition, concave regions exhibit field shielding that prevents fibers from penetrating geometric valleys. This limitation directly motivates the development of a custom robotic electrospinning platform capable of dynamically reorienting the emitter to access complex three-dimensional topologies.

In this framework, conductive scaffolds condition electric field distributions rather than define form directly. Electric fields operate as a physical computation layer, and electrospun fibers act as a material rendering of force interactions. Properties such as fiber density, porosity, orientation, and thickness emerge through the coupled dynamics of field conditions, scaffold geometry, and material behavior. The resulting structures are grown rather than assembled, foregrounding emergence, material intelligence, and field-mediated form generation, and offering an alternative to geometry-centric fabrication in art and design.