Scott Hudson of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and Disney Research has created a way of using additive manufacturing to fabricate three-dimensional objects from wool and wool blend yarn. Similar to traditional ‘hard material’ 3D printers, this technique uses a CAD model to build up layers except for in this case, the layers are made from wool.
Operating somewhere between a 3D printer and a sewing machine, this new printing technique could literally change the landscape of soft good prototyping and on-demand customization. The technique even includes the option to include embedded elements such as sturdy support materials or even articulating joints for creating interactive objects:
This printer allows the substantial advantages of additive manufacturing techniques (including rapid turnaround prototyping of physical objects and support for high levels of customization and configuration) to be employed with a new class of material.
Hudson is no stranger to stretching the limits of 3D printing, either. You might remember this video that came out a couple years ago that highlights another project he worked on that focused on embedding optics into 3D prints:
Printed Optics is a new approach to creating custom optical elements for interactive devices using 3D printing. Printed Optics enable sensing, display, and illumination elements to be directly embedded in the body of an interactive device. Using these elements, unique display surfaces, novel illumination techniques, custom optical sensors, and robust embedded components can be digitally fabricated for rapid, high fidelity, customized interactive devices.
Hudson is making the PDF of his ‘Printing Teddy Bears: A Technique for 3D Printing of Soft Interactive Objects‘ research paper available for anybody interested in learning more about this exciting new tech. You can check it out here.
