3D Printing as a Means for Augmenting Existing Surfaces

Three dimensional printing has gained considerable interest lately due to the proliferation of inexpensive devices as well as open source software that drive those devices. Countless possibilities exist, but the printing pipeline remains the same, going from object modeling through CAD software to the slicing of the 3D model and its further printing. This work proposes a modification in the way 3D printing content is both modeled and printed. The input comes from 2D drawings, while the printing occurs over the same drawing used before. This way, the original paper containing the drawing is "augmented" by the 3D printing material, since there is a registration between both real and 3D printing coordinates. By attaching a webcam to a 3D printer, we were able to make the entire system understand the drawing by seeing it and follow its contours during the printing process. We suggest distinct application scenarios that can benefit from this promising technology, ranging from architecture professionals to visually impaired people.