Most 3D printers are generally stationary, which limits their capacity to produce customized elements directly within a space. Addressing this challenge, researchers at the University of Washington have introduced MobiPrint, a mobile 3D printer that can autonomously map a room, allowing users to design and print objects directly onto floors or surfaces with high precision.
Smart Technology Meets Mobility
Designed on the base of a modified consumer vacuum robot, MobiPrint uses LiDAR technology to autonomously roam and map indoor spaces. Through its graphic interface, users can design objects tailored to specific room dimensions and choose exact locations for printing. MobiPrint’s mobile flexibility opens new possibilities for personalized home enhancements, from accessibility features to decorative items. The team recently presented this innovation at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST 2024) in Pittsburgh.
“Digital fabrication, like 3D printing, is pretty mature at this point,” shared Daniel Campos Zamora, a doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “Now we’re asking: How can we push it further into the world and lower the barriers for people to use it? How can we change the built environment and tailor spaces for people’s specific needs—for accessibility, for taste?”
Designed for Practicality and Accessibility
MobiPrint offers a unique solution for those who require specialized or accessible features in their homes. The system can print tactile markers for blind or low-vision individuals, offering helpful guidance like directional cues or alerts for hazards such as staircases. It can also be used to create accessibility ramps, seamlessly covering uneven flooring transitions. The design interface also allows users to select from a library of small-scale art pieces or custom models, with options that can be printed up to three inches in height.
Once the user has chosen a design, MobiPrint autonomously navigates to the selected location and prints the object on-site using PLA bioplastic. The team is exploring options to make MobiPrint even more versatile, including the potential for it to remove objects it has printed, recycle used materials, and extend its application to surfaces like walls and outdoor spaces.
Expanding the Reach of Digital Fabrication
Jon E. Froehlich, a professor at the Allen School, envisions numerous future applications for MobiPrint: “I think about kids out biking or my friends and family members who are in wheelchairs getting to the end of a sidewalk without a curb,” he said. “It would be so great if in the future we could just send Daniel’s robot down the street and have it build a ramp, even if it was working just for a short period of time. That just shows you how reconfigurable environments can be.”
Source: techxplore.com
