A programming cutting system to enhance productivity with individualities

Abstract

As an alternative to traditional laser cutting, we present LaserLeast, a fabrication-oriented design system that produce 3D objects using a laser cutter to bridge the gaps in prototyping from software to hardware and further evoke energy- and resource-saving consciousness in rapid manufacturing context. The key idea behind our system is that it employs a line-based strategy to improve the original workflow at the 2D output arrangement stage by using two shapes sharing one cutting line, and create a line-based workflow without a 3D modeling stage using three customizable components (line shape, 2.5D technique, and assemble plug). We compare LaserLeast with the traditional strategy with two use cases to address the advantages and limitations and show that LaserLeast has the potential to stimulate the creativity of product designers and the human computer interaction community to enhance productivity in both design and laser cutting through the Internet.