Interactive construction: interactive fabrication of functional mechanical devices

ABSTRACT

Personal fabrication tools, such as laser cutters and 3D printers allow users to create precise objects quickly. However, working through a CAD system removes users from the workpiece. Recent interactive fabrication tools reintroduce this directness, but at the expense of precision.

In this paper, we introduce constructable, an interactive drafting table that produces precise physical output in every step. Users interact by drafting directly on the workpiece using a hand-held laser pointer. The system tracks the pointer, beautifies its path, and implements its effect by cutting the workpiece using a fast high-powered laser cutter.

Constructable achieves precision through tool-specific constraints, user-defined sketch lines, and by using the laser cutter itself for all visual feedback, rather than using a screen or projection. We demonstrate how constructable allows creating simple but functional devices, including a simple gearbox, that cannot be created with traditional interactive fabrication tools.

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Index Terms

• Human-centered computing

  • Human computer interaction (HCI)