0:08 Thank you so much. My name is Jesus Marini Parisi. I’m the founder of computational design engineer of MoonRabbit Adaptive Lab and today we will be presenting what is what was the journey behind the Puma Fast-R NITRO Elite. First I would like to introduce moon rabbit. We are a computational design agency dedicated to push the boundaries of performance products and we go through innovation and design engineering. So we try to connect and have a team of multi-disiplinary teams that can actually connect the parts of design engineering because we know that there is a bridge missing in this area.

0:47 Our work focuses on advanced computational workflows. So we try to enhance functions efficiency and innovation. So how how did arrive to this point? So my path to computational design started actually in the automotive sector. Because I have a background in meatronics engineering. Then one of my passions was always product design. So I start moving forward into product design, innovation, entry design, engineering and finally I was able to to be part of the MIT design lab where I had the opportunity to to do research and development in product design.

1:25 So today I I’m bringing a question what car crash and run or food have in common. I will say that not that much but we try to bring that gap together. So for us for us part of these workflows was was the idea of bringing what we know with Puma in order to create like what will be the future of running. So this was the Puma team in the Puma innovation team that took the challenge to us or we took this challenge all together.

1:58 So we were able to put a lot of back and forth in order to understand how can we use new techniques and new technologies in order to create better and faster products. So we we came up with the idea of what if we use it for for the race day shoe. So 2020 they they start this Puma race day shoe line that actually it was really interesting because it has the couple mids.

2:25 So two pieces a carbon print in the middle. So it was the perfect challenge for engineering because you have pieces of foam pieces of carbon and do you have different stiffness through you have a rubber piece. So it was really really interesting to to approach this challenge. So the brief was basically how can we create the next generation of marathon running. I don’t know how many of you have worked in the footwear industry or in any industries.

2:54 They every every every time they start from the 2D. So this is this was quite different for me coming from an engineering background actually starting from a 2D was it was weird. So we we wanted to start with with a 3D approach immediately to start seeing mockups digital mockups creating prototypes creating forms seeing shapes design and so on. So we proposed a way in in which we could translate the previous model into a 3D design space and create characteristics to understand the structure and performance.

3:27 Besides that we wanted to put the part that we let’s say masters because let’s six year I’ve been working in only simulations for eperastic materials or soft foams or rubbers. So how can we create a multimaterial simulation that enables the understanding of footware in general? So we can observe the phys physical behavior. We can have like an X-ray or a macro vision of what’s happening in actually maybe 250 milliseconds.

3:59 So we propose a workflow. This is also really interesting because for us it’s always about the workflow and how this can workflow not only can apply for footware but it also can extend to different industries. So how can we how we did this? We start by collecting data. So we puma has anal lab in Boston. So they have a really cool setup in which you can get planter distributions, treadmill videos, ground rules forces.

4:30 So how can we put all this information together? So at the end is data that is trying to talk with with the product. So one way to do it is by experience one the other way is trying to put all data in a design space. So something that we start collecting is creating a huge database. So we start inviting runners, we start putting more more more information in order to create enough statistically available data that can actually help us to lead the design.

5:04 One of the main characteristics that I believe is important when we are doing projects in design engineering is about material characterizations. So you need to know actually what you are working with. If it’s a spiral acid, a plastolastics or a carbon fiber, what is the considerations inside? So you need to understand the tension, the compression, the actual behavior and so on. This was really critical for us to to put a correct simulation setup and then we needed something or somewhere where to put all this information in a 3D design space.

5:40 So we got our inputs then we creating our computational data processing. So is this is the space or the black box or the our area in which we will start transforming data into 3D and how can we visualize it? How can we actually work with that? So this this was the challenge for us. But at the end we we start creating our own tools because custom tools in this case was one of the key elements for for creating what will be our performance area because we start creating clusters in in Grasshopper with different definitions.

6:20 We create our own API for FA. We start creating different definitions and workflows for data visualizations. And then this help us to loop faster and faster between one area and the other. So simulating multimaterial physics was not as easy task. So at the beginning was really complicated to get it right. So you need to understand what are the correct balances of forces, what are correct, the timings, the materials and so on.

6:50 But finally we got it correct and this is part of the of the success of this project because we were able to validate the models the digital models with physical testing. So we knew the deformations we knew the strengths we knew the forces and this help us to move forward and believe in what we were doing was correct. So we start mapping like digital simulation enables the creation of different geometrical changes at the same time that you can variate materials.

7:18 So you can test different type of foam, different types of rubber, you can have different type of let’s say internal plates could be PA, carbon etc and have everything digitally tested. So we proceed to do that. We created a material a material testing with the same model of the faster two and we start learning from it. We started learning which materials were having the best response, the best timings, the best energy absorption, the correct bendings and once that we understood all of that we kind of put all together in a way that we can actually use the information.

7:57 So we start creating heat maps, we start creating volumes and we start creating our own KPIs in order to understand how can we use this information to create an informed decision in design. The next step for us I think was the digital mockup. Digital mockup is is really was really important for us because having the possibilities to create fast prototypes in in terms of days maybe weeks test it and go back and forth once again.

8:29 So that was the the key element that we we we start implementing. So once that we have the information from the fast start to and then we start guiding the design of our digital mockups we were able to also simulate those digital digital platforms. So we couldn’t understand if our designs were making sense or not and where were the areas of opportunity in order to improve a compression improve stress or to guide better the the directions of forces.

8:59 Along with this it’s always it was always important to have a the DNA or the design part inside the project. So this is was a key feature in which you start creating the mockups but then you start aligning the design. So everything comes together the the engineering part the design part and the production side. So little by little we came up with the first sample size sample design and and then we start iterating between different materials specs.

9:28 Here was a we were to the microscope literally we start creating different specs different forms the changes were minimal but we knew that we want the maximum performance. So how can we achieve actually the best of the performance in each piece what was the correct material in order to enase the performance of the carbon plate in order to guide the energies in the correct directions. What were the foams?

9:53 What were the rubbers that and the patterns inside the rubber that enabled the best traction? So all of these was possible to be tested through through simulations and digital testing. One important thing for us was always the weight but also at the same time keeping the DNA of the brand. So that’s why we always keep in mind who is the construction of the shoe. What’s the storytelling that is coming through and how can we actually create a shape or a design that actually follows this.

10:23 So this is this was the first sample of the faster tree of the faster development in which we could reduce the development time by a 30%. We put a lot of material waste by molding making and fabrications because we did everything digitally tested at the end. Of course we have to have physical samples. We need to go back test those physical samples understand if they make sense or not.

10:49 But this help us to create more informed decisions when we’re creating design. This is the once that we got the first the first prototype. Then the next part was testing and testing and testing wearability performance if it was making sense of what we were doing digitally actually in the physical world. And then we we saw that it was correct and then we were in a good direction.

11:14 We have maybe another 95% of correlation between what we did digital and what was physically and then from there we start doing design detailed design modifications. With the with the design modifications we finalize with always with a simulation to understand that all the designs and details they don’t change the performance of our shoe. Probably in the full project we spent around 300 hours of simulations. We did more than 100 material combinations between them and we got the carbon and and foam optimizer to have the most advanced rolling experience.

11:55 Something that is a highlight for us was the importance of the carbon plate design. In the carbon plate design, we try to understand and analyze each of the layerings inside those carbon plates and using that all the data set and all the the data that we got from the athletes in order to get the best configuration possible of the layerings. So this is also one of the big achievements that we that we were able to use because in that way we could actually test what directions, what angles, what layering in which moment we need to do it.

And finally thanks to the machine of Puma, we were able to they were able to put everything ongoing. So they start creating all the color material finishings. They start training to to test it with different influencers and bringing people to the lab, testing testing, testing the the part of the finalized project and then find finally we got it right and it was presented thanks to the project three.

12:58 Faster tree was launched in the Boston Marathon. And it was a huge thing for the footware industry because it was one of the first I mean for Puma and for us was a reduction in 90 95 g from the previous tooling but having the same performance. We increase the 25% energy returns. Also this is thanks to the new nitro that is a TP TPU based and the minimalistic oper.

13:31 We will have a sample of the shooter so you can also see how light it is. The performance impact of the faster trees is that it got sold in three days 237 pairs at the Boston Marathon. Thanks to the project three, 30 of the 90 marathons that got part of this project break their personal record and four athletes were present in the first 20 bar. Amal Petros, this is one of the craziest highlights.

14:00 Amal PTOs was a silver medal in the men’s marathon in the world championship with a photo finishing. This is something that never happened before. By 0.003 seconds he got the silver medal. So it was it was a good achievement for us to see that actually the shoe is helping athletes to move forward and to perform better. Another highlight is I don’t know if some of you run and know how difficult it is to like go be below 3 hours marathon running.

14:34 So cutting four four minutes in in your in your pace or race is is something really important. And finally, this shoe got a lot of compliments during this year and also got into the times best inventions. So, we are really happy to be to be part of this project. Something that this is a video that I would like to show you like in a nutshell. This is how it looks one day in our studio.

15:08 Hope you like it. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Working on the faster than ever. After our work is never over. So this is we are a team of five persons in in the studio. So we are really small but we are doing great things in in trying to push the future of computational design. So the takeaways is the we explore the 3D design space identifying areas of opportunity.

16:28 We created all our custom tools and trying to adapt different platforms between one and the other. We try to optimize the structure for performance and efficiency. We reduce the production time and physical prototypings which is also important and we all we help to to Puma to create faster and better informed decisions and finally the workflow is not limited to footware we try to scale this one in different areas and and try to find try to find different opportunities in I don’t know consumer electronics and other consumer goods areas automotive industrial audio systems etc because at the Data is in everything. So if we have good data, it’s possible to create a specific work for to improve and create better products. Thank you.