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FAB at CHI: Digital FabricationTools, Design, and Community
David MellisMIT Media LabMITCambridge, MA 02143 [email protected]
Mark D GrossSchool of ArchitectureCarnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA [email protected]
Sean FollmerMIT Media LabMITCambridge, MA 02143 [email protected]
Bjorn HartmannComputer Science DivisionUC BerkeleyBerkeley CA 94720 [email protected]
Leah BuechleyMIT Media LabMITCambridge, MA 02143 [email protected]
Copyright is held by the author/owner(s).CHI’13, April 27 – May 2, 2013, Paris, France.ACM 978-1-XXXX-XXXX-X/XX/XX.
AbstractThis workshop explores the implications and opportunitiesof digital fabrication for the field of human-computerinteraction. We highlight five themes: design tools andinterfaces, online collaboration around physical objects,prototyping in the interaction design process, hands-onlearning, and unique, personalized artifacts. For each, weprovide an overview and a survey of related work. Theworkshop seeks to foster a network of researchers andothers working in these and related areas. It explorespotential research directions and ways that the CHIcommunity can make a positive impact on design, craft,and maker culture.
Author KeywordsFabrication, Interactive Fabrication, Design, CAD, Craft
ACM Classification KeywordsH.5.2 [Information interfaces and presentation (e.g.,HCI)]: User Interfaces: Prototyping.
IntroductionDigital fabrication is changing the way that people design,produce, and interact with objects and devices. Thediversity of accessible fabrication processes – laser-cutting,3D printing, computer-numeric controlled (CNC) milling,printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, and many more –
enable production of parts in a variety of forms andmaterials. Falling costs for fabrication machines and agrowing number of consumer-facing fabrication servicesmake it cheaper and easier for people to translate theirdigital designs into physical objects. By providing atighter coupling and faster iteration between the digitaland physical, fabrication enables new relationshipsbetween objects and interfaces.
Figure 1: Maker Bot is asub-$2000 3D printer that cancreate objects out of plastic.
Figure 2: Plushie allows users toeasily create plush toys through asketch based interface. It uses alaser cutter to cut out fabricpieces, which the user assembles.
Digital fabrication has a number of implications forhuman-computer interaction. By increasing the audiencefor computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aidedmanufacturing (CAM), it generates a need for newsoftware tools with easy-to-use or specialized interfaces.The ability to share files digitally creates opportunities tosupport and study online collaboration and the formationof communities around the production of physicalartifacts. Fabrication facilitates the prototyping ofinterfaces, allowing for new design processes andmethodologies. It makes it feasible for individuals todesign and build their own physical interfaces and devices,changing the relationship between designers and users.This creates opportunities for hands-on learning andcraftsmanship. Further, fabrication enables unique andone-off artifacts, many of which would have beenimpossible or infeasible with traditional manufacturing.This workshop offers an opportunity to bring togetherresearchers from these domains to share knowledge, fostercommunity, and explore future research directions.
The following section surveys these major topics in therelationship between fabrication and HCI. We mix generaldiscussion with references to prior work and potentialareas of future investigation. This is followed by a moredetailed list of topics of interest and a summary of thegoals for the workshop.
Digital Fabrication and Human-Computer In-teractionNew Design Interfaces and ToolsDigital fabrication creates a direct and immediate need fornew software design interfaces and tools. Domain-specificdesign tools take advantage of the properties of particularfabrication processes and specific classes of artifacts tocreate easy-to-use interfaces with embedded domainknowledge. For example, SketchChair [11] allows users todesign chairs for assembly from parts fabricated with 2Dmachines like laser-cutters and CNC routers. Its interfaceincludes tools specialized for this class of artifacts, like theability to manipulate multiple parts in parallel and tosimulate a person sitting in the chair. Other domainspecific tools for digital fabrication include Plushie [7] atool for designing plush dolls, see Fig. 2.
Other research has taken advantage of the immediatenature of digital fabrication to investigate real-time,tangible, or augmented reality interfaces for design. Forexample, KidCAD [4] uses a deformable interface to allowchildren to remix physical toys and 3D print their newdesigns. Interactive Fabrication [15] presents a series ofinterfaces and machines for real-time design of fabricatedartifacts, see Fig. 3. Other work has investigated thistight coupling between human control and digital designs[10, 16]. Additionally, researchers have explored how toaugment fabrication tools to provide feedback in thedesign and fabrication process [3, 8].
Online Communities and CollaborationBecause digital design files can be shared easily, digitalfabrication offers unique opportunities for studyingcollaboration on the creation of physical artifacts. In Riseof the Expert Amateur [5], the authors discuss thepractices and motivations of contributors to online
communities about do-it-yourself (DIY) making. Digitalfabrication and sites like Thingiverse (where users sharedesign files) allow online communities to extend to directcollaboration on particular designs, e.g. throughopen-source hardware. These activities yield data thatallows for the study of computer-supported collaborationalong the lines of prior research into open-source softwaredevelopment and Wikipedia. They suggest opportunitiesfor new interfaces and tools – for example, to visualize ormerge changes to hardware designs, or to remix orcombine a number of online designs [1].
Figure 3: The Shaper is a toolfor Interactive Fabrication. Newfabrication machines can bedesigned with interaction inmind.
Figure 4: Midas is a tool foradding touch sensitive elementsto any object. It uses a vinylcutter to create conductivecircuits for capacitive sensing.
Prototyping in the Interaction Design ProcessFabrication can also make the design of physical ortangible interfaces easier, and also allow for end usercustomizable interfaces. Researchers in the HCIcommunity have been using digital fabrication to makephysical interfaces quickly and at a higher fidelity, forexample Topobo [9], a construction kit for tangible robotprograming. Other researchers have explored how we can3D print entire working interfaces [14]. New softwaredesign tools for end users are beginning to look at howfabrication can allow users to extend or make their ownphysical interfaces, such as Midas [12], Fig. 4.
Learning & ConstructionismDigital fabrication offers a number of opportunities for theenhancement of education. These are discussed in [2],which highlights three main themes: decoration, personalexpression, and intellectual investigation. Other work hasalso looked at ways to make digital fabrication relevantand accessible to children and for educational contexts.
Fabricated Interfaces and ArtifactsDigital fabrication brings new forms and aesthetics tointerfaces and artifacts. Available fabrication processesallow fine and detailed shaping of a variety of materials.
Their forms can be generated programmatically, openingup a new space of algorithmic design. The flexibility ofdigital fabrication enables the creation of unique,personalized designs. Its ease and speed enable rapiditeration, allowing for the thorough and detailedexploration of a design space. Fabricated parts can becombined with other materials, allowing forpersonalization and meaning through handcraft. InPlywood Punk [13], the authors explore these aestheticspossibilities through the design of a wood and electronicservo motor, offering some general principles for fabricateddevices, see Fig. 5. In [6], the authors describe thecustomization and production of two consumer productsby different user groups, drawing conclusions about thepossibilities that fabrication offers for device design andproduction. As digital fabrication processes get better andmore accessible, they offer additional opportunities for theexploration of new design spaces – aesthetic, functional,and social.
Topics of Interest• Design tools for digital fabrication
• Augmented reality and tangible design tools
• Interactive fabrication
• Fabricated interfaces and devices
• End-user design tools for physical interfaces
• Personalized objects and interfaces
• Social implications of fabrication
• Online communities and community-support tools
• Intellectual property implications
• STEM/STEAM education through fabrication
• Algorithmic design
• Relationship between digital design and physical craft
Workshop Goals and Outcomes
Figure 5: The plywood servoinvestigates how craft processand digital fabrication technologyintersect.
With this workshop, we hope to foster a network ofresearchers working at the intersection of fabrication andHCI. We would like to increase the visibility of fabricationwithin the CHI generally, as well as specific tools,techniques, and research areas. Additionally, the workshopshould serve as an opportunity for researchers to sharetheir work, solicit feedback, and generate new ideas andprojects. To reach a broader audience we will documentthe discussions and activities at the workshop on theworkshop’s website, which will be publicly accessible. Inaddition, blog posts written as submissions to theworkshop will remain archived and accessible on thiswebsite. We will continue to solicit blog posts aboutfabrication- and HCI-related research and topics from theCHI community and other makers and researchers. Wealso hope to find ways to further the workshop themeswithin a research context.
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