Personal fabrication: supporting new devices and assisted living

Abstract of the Project

In recent years we have seen personal fabrication machines – such as 3D printers and laser cutters – becoming more capable and more affordable [1, 2]. This development is of relevance to applications that focus on assisted living in everyday life as it enables fabrication of objects and devices whichs physical shape is adapted to the users needs. While those machines radically change the way we produce artifacts, the design process and ideas employed to conceive and describe those artifacts still target mass production. Existing tools and methods tend to target professional designers and engineers and prove to be an entry barrier for non-engineering users.

This complexity can be reduced by providing interfaces targeting specific domains, production techniques or user groups. Production specific knowledge can be encoded into the system, freeing users from having to learn manufacturing specific knowledge [3].

This research aims to understand the problems and complexities which for now prohibit a more widespread adoption of personal fabrication, especially in the area of healthcare and assisted living. This knowledge will inform the design of new systems and interfaces, empowering a broader mass to utilize and benefit from personal fabrication.

Research Achievements to date

• Paper publication: Christian Weichel, Manfred Lau and Hans Gellersen. 2013. Enclosed:A Component-Centric Interface for Designing Prototype Enclosures. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (TEI '13). To Appear
• CHI 2013 note submission
• CHI 2013 work in progress submission, together with Steven Houben, ITU
• Developed an integrated system for designing manufacturing device prototype enclosures

References

[1] Moilanen, J. & Vadén, T. 2012.. Manufacturing in motion: first survey on the 3D printing community. In Statistical Studies of Peer Production.

[2] Mark Gross. 2009. Now more than ever: Computational thinking and a science of design. Japan Society for the Science of Design 16, 2, 50–54.

[3] H. Lipson, M. Kurman. 2010. FACTORY@HOME: THE EMERGING ECONOMY OF PERSONAL MANUFACTURING. In One of a Series of Occasional Papers in Science and Technology Policy, 2010

[4] Christian Weichel, Manfred Lau and Hans Gellersen. 2013. Enclosed:A Component-Centric Interface for Designing Prototype Enclosures. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (TEI '13). To Appear