Digital clay apparatus and method

• US 20040249582A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Rossignac, Jaroslaw R., Allen, Mark, Glezer, Ari, Book, Wayne J., Ebert-Uphoff, Imme, Rosen, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/45
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the surface and/or volume of a digital clay device is provided. One embodiment, among others, is a method comprising the following steps: determining a desired position of a skeleton structure portion residing in the digital clay device, determining a volumetric change of fluid residing in a bladder, the determined volumetric change corresponding to the determined desired position of the skeleton structure portion, opening a micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) valve so that the fluid flows through the MEMS valve thereby causing the determined volumetric change of the fluid, and adjusting a position of the skeleton structure portion corresponding to the desired position of the skeleton structure portion, the position adjustment caused by a force generated by the bladder on the skeleton structure portion when the volume of the bladder changes in response to the determined volumetric change.

Claims

1. A method for controlling shape of a digital clay device, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a desired position of a skeleton structure portion residing in the digital clay device;

determining a volumetric change of a fluid residing in a bladder, the determined volumetric change corresponding to the determined desired position of the skeleton structure portion;

opening a valve so that the fluid flows through the valve thereby causing the determined volumetric change of the fluid residing in the bladder; and

adjusting a position of the skeleton structure portion corresponding to the desired position of the skeleton structure portion, the position adjustment caused by a force generated by the bladder on the skeleton structure portion when the volume of the bladder changes in response to the determined volumetric change of the fluid residing in the bladder.