CLYPEASTEROIDA IS A family of flattened, burrowing sea urchins with short spines and a shell made up of small, curved calcium plates connected by fibres and finger joints. This complex structure has been subjected to close scrutiny by researchers and students at the University of Stuttgart. In a research pavilion on the campus, the joining techniques of the textile world have been combined with advanced plywood lamination based on studies of both clypeasteroida and sea cucumbers.
The pavilion comprises individually designed units made from thin beech plywood that has been cut to shape by robots. Instead of laminating the beech sheets with glue, they are fixed in their curved form by being sewn together using a robot-controlled sewing machine.«
