Printing teddy bears

Abstract

This paper considers the design, construction, and example use of a new type of 3D printer which fabricates threedimensional objects from soft fibers (wool and wool blend yarn). 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. This material is a form of loose felt formed when fibers from an incoming feed of yarn are entangled with the fibers in layers below it. The resulting objects recreate the geometric forms specified in the solid models which specify them, but are soft and flexible -somewhat reminiscent in character to hand knitted materials. This extends 3D printing from typically hard and precise forms into a new set of forms which embody a different aesthetic of soft and imprecise objects, and provides a new capability for researchers to explore the use of this class of materials in interactive devices.

WraPr

“…In contrast, we seek to use spooling for physical prototyping and object augmentation. Works in the domain of soft, textile-based fabrication explored felting extruded yarn [12], converting 3D meshes into knitted objects [17], actuating knitted structures [5], making zippable 2D patterns of fabric [24] and stacking soft materials [20]. In addition, Rivera and Hudson [23] recently explored electrospinning, an industrial fibre production method for desktop use by modifying a 3D printer.…”

“…Technologies such as 3D Printing, Laser-cutting, and CNC milling, enable users to manufacture a large variety of objects using digital tools. More recently, textile fabrication technologies like knitting [5,17] or felting [12] have come into focus as well. Many additive manufacturing technologies use a base material that comes delivered in coilsfilament for 3D printers, as well as yarn and thread for textile manufacturing.…”

Soft Inkjet Circuits

“…Ideal for wearable applications, e-textile fabrication requires either trained skills or dedicated hardware. Prototyping techniques involve additive methods such as sewing and stitching using conductive yarn, either manually [56] or digitally assisted [13,15], while subtractive methods cut conductive fabric [2], and hybrid methods combine both [40]. Screen printing has also been used to create e-textiles [21].…”

Stretching the Bounds of 3D Printing with Embedded Textiles

“…Textiles have recently captured the imagination of the 3D print ing community, which can benefit from aesthetic and other properties of textiles, while reducing the manual labor needed to create with them. For example, Hudson [17] described a new type of 3D printer that prints in needle-felted yarn, en abling the creation of new soft objects such as teddy bears. Peng et al [27] created a layered fabric printer, which uses textiles as the printing medium, cut with a laser cutter and adhered together using an iron and heat sensitive adhesive.…”