Constructable - What the system can do (via Hasso Platner Institute)
Have you ever wanted to plan, design and construct a project while using just one system over all the various tool we deal with now? That is precisely what a group of engineers from Hasso Platner Institute’s Human-Computer Interaction Group succeeded in designing. The interactive drafting table, known as ‘Constructable’ (yes it’s a play on words), combines both the drafting table and production equipment in one package that eliminates the need for CAD programs, 3D printers or other equipment and countless hours of fabrication.
The team, led by Professor Patrick Baudisch, designed Constructable using a web-cam that is mounted over the plotting table, which tracks a series of different laser-pointers that are used by free-hand to draft a project. A computer then stream-lines the initial pattern drawn with the pointers and passes along that refined information to a high-powered laser-cutter, which then cuts out the drawn design. Each laser-pointer is equipped with a sensor inside which the computer recognizes as a different shape or function based on the task being performed. This gives the user a wide latitude when it comes to designing their projects. For example; one laser is used for etching out finger-joints while another can simply score the material to make bends. Others let the user cut circles or rounded corners, etch boxes, extrude, trace or even etch teeth onto circles to create functioning gears.
The Constructable system itself is considerably faster over that of 3D printers, which can take a few hours to create pieces or parts of a project whereas the laser-cutter takes only a few seconds in comparison. The only draw-back of this system is that the cutter itself costs around $40,000 US, which limits the table to companies or other institutions over the garage-based home engineer. The team plans to present their Constructable at the User Interface Software and Technology conference being held in Boston later this year in October.
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