This thesis research
explores the use of haptic augmentation in developing new artistic tools for sculpture. With this system of the designer and robot working collaboratively, new ideas can be explored in such a way that is not possible with either working alone. The use of the 3D printing pen is currently marketed and used predominantly as an arts and crafts toy meant more for play than design. There is an opportunity for artists and designers to take advantage of the strengths that the 3D printing pen maintains combined with the ability to skillfully craft within the limitations of a haptic feedback device, creating and iterating designs and functional products in a rigorous and interactive design workflow. The Geomagic Touch is the haptic feedback device being utilized to create the effect of a three-dimensional ruler, constraining the user’s movements and providing haptic textural effects. By adding a layer of accuracy and efficiency while maintaining a variable level of freedom, the 3D pen has the potential to be used on a more refined level for fabrication, sculpture, and design. Force feedback for freehand 3D printing changes the creation process entirely, allowing for a symbiosis of the design and fabrication processes, bringing back the art of craft and physical design that designers have lost in the digital age.
