MIT researchers develop LaserFactory, a one-stop-shop robot-building 3D-printer

article by juliana neira. designboom – feb 11, 2021.

a group of researchers from MIT’s computer science and artificial intelligence laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a 3D-printing system that is able to fabricate complex devices that are ready-to-go right out of the printer. dubbed LaserFactory, the system uses a three-ingredient recipe that lets users create structural geometry, print traces, and assemble electronic components like sensors and actuators.

LaserFactory is composed of two parts that work together: a software toolkit that allows users to design custom devices, and a hardware platform that fabricates them. this technology could be very beneficial for those who are looking to rapidly prototype objects, including wearables, robots, and printed electronics.

‘making fabrication inexpensive, fast, and accessible to a layman remains a challenge,’ says CSAIL phd student martin nisser, lead author on a paper about LaserFactory that will appear in the ACM conference on human factors in computing systems in may. ‘by leveraging widely available manufacturing platforms like 3D printers and laser cutters, LaserFactory is the first system that integrates these capabilities and automates the full pipeline for making functional devices in one system.’ […]

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Video – LaserFactory: Fabricating fully functional devices