如果说3D虚拟现实（VR）和增材制造（AM）象征着颠覆性的制造技术已经进军航空航天领域，那么另外一种令人觉得不可思议的创新技术，则会让您觉得是科幻电影中的某个桥段。

航空材料与生物科学领域中的新兴技术融合，首次让人们对未来能够“种植”组件、系统，甚至整架飞机的充满了无限期待。这是一个非常激动人心的突破，这种“种植”技术在未来可望降低新型航空产品的价格的同时进一步促进可持续发展，以此应对不断减少的传统原材料供应，以及不断增长的市场需求。

作为共享技术与科学思维的方式作为开放创新的一部分，由BAE 系统公司共同提出的一系列的全新概念。或许正是受到“蓝天科学研究”的挑战，众多由来自高校的科学家、研究人员及毕业生所组成的创新型公司正在经历着快速成长，他们代表了创新的新浪潮中的一些最具创新性的驱动力。

蓝天研究（也称为蓝天科学）：是在“真实世界”应用不是立即显现的领域的科学研究。 它被定义为“没有明确目标的研究”和“好奇心驱动的科学”。它有时与术语“基础研究”互换使用。这种科学模式的支持者认为，意想不到的科学突破有时比议题驱动性研究的结果更有价值，预示遗传学和干细胞生物学的进展作为例子，最初被视为纯理论范围的研究，并无法预见其价值。由于投资回报率固有的不确定性，以及无法获得更可靠的利润或实践研究，蓝天项目在政府和商业层面上均不受欢迎，往往得不到资金的支持。

想象一下，有一台机器能够从分子层面开始合成化学元素，运用所合成出来的材料再“种植”另外种机器。虽然这听起来像是天方夜谭，但事实上这样一个极具颠覆性的概念已经出现，并期望使用可持续材料快速制造一大批专用小型无人机，支持军事行动。此外，这种技术也可以运用于制造大型飞机的多功能组件。

英国格拉斯哥大学（University of Glasgow）皇家钦定教授（Regius Professor）Lee Cronin正在研究飞机“种植”技术所面临的技术挑战，他的工作得到了BAE系统的支持，后者可随着研究的推进适时提供行业意见。2015年，Cronin教授的公司Cronin Group PLC从格拉斯哥大学取得了该技术的知识产权，并开始着手以此为基础开发一种名为Chemputer（商标）的自动化通用数字合成引擎（autonomous universaldigital synthesis engine），旨在利用数字化技术推广化学工艺的应用范围。

皇家钦定教授（Regius Professor）：由英国女王钦定，获得者均是在英国大学里开展了高水平学术研究的专业。

Cronin教授认为，随着Chemputer的革命性化学工艺的不断加速，未来这种技术将具备“种植”复杂小型飞行器的能力。对比来说，3D打印机是通过一层层的材料叠加来打造物体，而Chemputer则是以可持续材料为原料，以高级化学过程为手段，从分子层面开始一点点“生长”飞机的主体结构和部分复杂电子系统。Cronin指出，Chemputer可以将小型飞机的设计和制造过程从几年时间缩短到短短几周，从而快速有效支持各种军事行动的推进。他说，“这是化学工业发展进程中一个非常激动人心的时刻。”

如此一来，只要有需要，Chemputer随时可以在飞行器使用地点的附近快速制造一大批设备，而不用在仓库中堆积大量库存。

“我们一直在寻找实现数字化合成与材料化学的道路，希望未来可以‘从无到有’地组装复杂物体，或尽量减少这一过程中需要的人工。”Cronin表示，“打造小型飞机这个任务非常具有挑战性，但其中所使用的创造性思维和大量数字化技术，将最终带领我们实现复杂化学与材料系统的数字化编程。”

If 3D virtual reality and additive manufacturing (AM) are indicative of one direction that disruptive developments are taking the aerospace engineering sector, then another, even more radical innovation may make these technologies look like mere stepping stones within a generation. The fusing of emerging technologies from the aerospace materials sector and biological sciences are now, for the first time, heading toward the prospect of growing parts, systems, and, ultimately, perhaps whole aircraft. This is an exciting breakthrough that might help keep the development of new aerospace products affordable and at the same time more sustainable in a future world where the diminishing supply of conventional raw materials might struggle to cope with market needs.

New concepts have been developed by BAE Systems collaboratively as part of an open innovation approach to sharing technology and scientific ideas. Many such spin-off companies, often formed by and employing former university scientists and graduates, are experiencing rapid growth and represent some of the most innovative drivers of the new wave in innovation, possibly as a result of coming at challenges with blue-sky ideas, unconstrained by convention.

Imagine a machine that can synthesize chemicals and materials to grow another machine from a molecular level upwards. It sounds like pure science fiction but such a unique disruptive concept has emerged and it envisages the use of environmentally sustainable materials to support military operations where a swarm of small unmanned air vehicles could be built quickly for a specific purpose. Such a technology could also be used for making multi-functional parts for large aircraft.

Regius Professor Lee Cronin at the University of Glasgow is pioneering a technology that investigates the challenge of growing an aircraft and BAE Systems is supporting his work by providing industrial advice as that work proceeds. In 2015 his company, Cronin Group PLC, acquired intellectual property from the university to develop the Chemputer (the trademarked name) as an autonomous universal digital synthesis engine, which is intended to open up chemistry to a wide user base via digitization.

By speeding up evolutionary processes and chemical reactions in the Chemputer, he anticipates that one day it could be capable of growing a small-scale, complex aircraft. Unlike a 3D printer, which places layers of matter to build up an object, the Chemputer will draw on advanced chemical processes to build up aircraft structures and some of their complex electronic systems from the molecular level, using environmentally sustainable materials. Cronin points out that such small aircraft could be designed and created in a matter of weeks, rather than years, and could support a wide range of military operations quickly and effectively. “This is a very exciting time in the development of chemistry,” he said.

Large stocks of such machines would not have to be held in storage areas but could be produced close to where they might be used and when required at relatively short notice, depending on the need and specific requirements, which might cover a range of missions.

“We have been developing routes to digitize synthetic and materials chemistry and at some point in the future hope to assemble complex objects in a machine from the bottom up, or with minimal human assistance,” said Cronin. “Creating small aircraft would be very challenging but the creative thinking and convergent digital technologies will eventually lead to the digital programming of complex chemical and material systems.”

Author: Richard Gardner
Source: SAE Aerospace Engineering Magazine