Next_Stages_in_Automated Craft.pdf (2.44 MB)
Next stages in automated craft: the integration of rapid manufacture technologies into craft and DIY applications
conference contribution
posted on 2014-06-16, 14:29 authored by Ben Hughes, Matt SinclairAdvances in the sophistication and affordability of rapid manufacture technology has started to pave
the way for home use (Malone and Lipson, 2007a; Burns and Howison, 2001). This paper explores
scenarios linking the potential of such technologies to craft and DIY use. While certain forms of
automation and semi-industrial processes are already familiar in this area (knitting and embroidery
machines, laser cutting), it is suggested that the next stage of development will involve more
complex processes, currently more closely linked to applications of rapid prototyping. The
improvement in entry-level CAD software (both 2D and 3D) has brought an increasing number of
unlikely end-users into closer contact with the kind of processes normally associated with massmanufacture
or the professional practice of industrial design (Gershenfeld, 2005). Such users are not
merely replicating industrial processes however, but are modifying and experimenting with both the
machines and materials available to them. Future processes might be accessed remotely, some of
them through browser interfaces, or eventually housed at home as is the case with home knitting or
printing solutions. The paper presents examples from a project undertaken by postgraduate industrial
design students investigating the possibilities of future manufacturing scenarios. It also demonstrates
the broader potential of exploring this issue in the area of design education. Illustrative examples are
taken from a project undertaken by postgraduate industrial design students and also demonstrates the
potential of exploring this issue in the area of design education.
History
School
- Design
Published in
2010 IDSA Conference: DIY DesignPages
? - ? (19)Citation
HUGHES, B. and SINCLAIR, M., 2010. Next stages in automated craft: the integration of rapid manufacture technologies into craft and DIY applications. Presented at: IDSA Conference 2010 DIY: Threat or Opportunity, 4th-7th August 2010, Portland, Oregon.Publisher
Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)Version
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publication date
2010Notes
This is a conference paper.Publisher version
Language
- en