Ramus by DumoLab Research (DLR) develops large-scale, ambient conditions additively manufactured, and biodegradable cellulose-based biomaterial composites able to mediate their structural capacity from micro to macroscale. This work advances research on design and fabrication of ecological benign wood biomass composites with precise material distribution, programmed hierarchical behavior, efficient material use, minimum waste, and non-toxic processing and end-of-life. Inspired by vernacular biomass binders from blood, pitch, beans, or milk, Ramus, a Latin term meaning “branch”, looks at abundant and regenerative natural adhesives to bind wood biomass particles from organic byproducts. This research challenges industrial era wood composites that include petrochemical binders with low cost, rapid curing, and strength advantages, but with high human and ecological health risks. Rationalizing predictable mechanical properties and fabricability of biopolymer blends from natural resources is discussed here through design of microscale chemistry-dependent structure, mesoscale manufactured property distribution, and macroscale functionally graded performance in large, printed constructs. The work hints at a future where complex behavior structures are made from ecologically benign materials and low energy manufacturing, while reducing the need for assembly of multiple single-function parts.
Exhibits: Ramus-0 for VAMO was shown at the Venice Biennale 2025, Corderie of the Arsenale, Venice, IT, in collaboration with MIT and ETH.
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