Figure. MobiPrint is a custom-built robotic 3D printer that autonomously maps, navigates, and prints 3D objects directly in indoor environments. MobiPrint provides a multi-stage fabrication pipeline: (1) the robotic 3D printer maps an indoor space using LiDAR scanning and obstacle detection; (2) a custom design tool converts the map into an interactive CAD canvas for editing and placing models in the physical world; (3) the MobiPrint robot prints the object directly on the ground at the defned location, as demonstrated in the far-right fgure showing a cane holder printed on the foor to prevent it from falling over.
3D printing is transforming our ability to customize and create physical objects for varying applications in engineering, accessibility, and art. However, this technology is still limited to confined working areas and dedicated print beds, thereby detaching design and fabrication from real-world environments. In this paper, we present MobiPrint, a prototype mobile fabrication system that combines elements from robotics, architecture, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to enable environment-scale design and fabrication in ad-hoc indoor environments. MobiPrint consists of a robotic 3D printer and an accompanying design tool that maps an indoor space and converts into a canvas for users to modify and arrange objects to be printed directly onto the ground. We provide a walkthrough of our environment-scale fabrication process including mapping, model selection and editing, and autonomous printing on ground surfaces. Through a "proof-by-demonstration" validation, we highlight our system's potential across different applications, e.g. accessibility, home furnishing, and floor signage. We also conduct a technical evaluation to assess MobiPrints's location accuracy, payload capacity, and mapping speed and discuss how our prototype could inform future work in mobile fabrication that aims to integrate custom 3D designs into real-world settings.
Please cite as:
@inproceedings{10.1145/3654777.3676459,
author = {Campos Zamora, Daniel and He, Liang and Froehlich, Jon E.},
title = {MobiPrint: A Mobile 3D Printer for Environment-Scale Design and Fabrication},
year = {2024},
isbn = {9798400706288},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {New York, NY, USA},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3654777.3676459},
doi = {10.1145/3654777.3676459},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 37th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology},
articleno = {38},
numpages = {10},
keywords = {3D Printing, Environment-Scale Fabrication, Mobile Fabrication},
location = {Pittsburgh, PA, USA},
series = {UIST '24}
}