Dassault Systèmes announces that Interstellar Lab, a research company that creates closed-loop controlled environment habitats and biospheres that generate and recycle food, water and air, used the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in a Cloud environment to efficiently design and develop its first prototype , the BioPod. This environmentally controlled food production system advances its mission to build space-ready stations containing the infrastructure and resources to sustainably support human life on Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Interstellar Lab used the Industry Solution Experience "Reinvent the Sky" based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for continuous collaboration in addition to quickly optimizing and validating your projects. In a digital environment that provides secure, instant access to the latest project data from anywhere, anytime, team members in France and the United States combined their experiences and used a Digital Twin (Virtual Twin) to simulate and test the performance of the BioPod structure in extreme climates, as well as that of its biological systems such as optimal oxygen, carbon dioxide and light levels for plant growth.
“Climate change is a real emergency for the Earth and we only have a short time to bring about positive change. We are developing a new framework for sustainable life on Earth and a test run for future space missions,” says Barbara Belvisi, Founder and CEO of Interstellar Lab. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform allows us to have the most efficient work processes and avoid reworking projects from scratch. As we move into the next phase, the platform and project management capabilities will be critical for storing and retrieving design knowledge, as well as managing the entire product lifecycle effectively.”
O BioPod is an inflatable dome measuring 6 meters wide, 10 meters long and 4.5 meters high that uses composites for the solid technical base and soft plastic membranes for the main and outer capsule. It is designed to revolutionize food production by combining advanced farming technology with predictive monitoring to grow a variety of crops and plants that would otherwise not survive in a traditional indoor growing setting.
According to the BioPod evolves, Interstellar Lab will use Virtual Twin to experience and monitor the dome's operations and maintenance and collect data on food production and the environment. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform will also facilitate communication with suppliers as the company designs future modules and increases manufacturing and sourcing, and allows Interstellar Lab to create photorealistic renderings of the BioPod 3D model to communicate its vision.
“Innovators are balancing traditional industry dynamics in the race to explore space with new concepts that define the future of aerospace systems,” said David Ziegler, Vice President Aerospace Industry and Defense at Dassault Systèmes. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform allows innovative startups to integrate technology into product development and accelerate the product lifecycle, from concept to certification, using the same tools that large companies use, without increasing their overhead costs. They can use Virtual Twin solutions to optimize their ideas, gain the critical competitive advantage of being the first to bring their product to market, and introduce more sustainable ways of living and exploring new environments.”
