Cam as a tool for creative expression: Informing digital fabrication through human interaction

Abstract

Contemporary digital design and fabrication tools often present deterministic and pre-programmed workflows. This limits the potential for developing a deeper understanding of materials within the process. This paper presents an interactive and adaptive design-fabrication workflow where the user can actively take turns in the fabrication process. The proposed experimental setup utilizes paste extrusion additive manufacturing in tandem with real-time control of an industrial robotic arm. By incorporating a computer-vision based feedback loop, it captures momentary changes in the fabricated artifact introduced by the users to inform the digital representation. Using the updated digital representation, the proposed system can offer simple design hypotheses for the user to evaluate and adapt future toolpaths accordingly. This paper presents the development of the experimental setup and delineates critical concepts and their motivation.