3D Printing Interactive Content for Tactile Prototyping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Online shopping lacks the tactile experience, as consumers often desire to touch and feel products before purchasing, which digital content alone cannot provide, leading to frustration and reduced online sales for merchants.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method enabling 3-D printing of customized three-dimensional object prototypes from interactive content items, allowing users to interact with and print 3-D representations of products using a 3-D printer associated with their client device, thereby simulating a tactile experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If digital online content is provided to consumers, then information delivery efficiency is improved, but tactile experience is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates physical 3-D copies of digital objects by transmitting 3-D object data from servers to consumer 3-D printers, which then produce tangible prototypes. This copying process bridges the digital-physical gap, allowing consumers to touch and feel product representations while maintaining efficient digital information delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms digital 3-D object data into physical form through parameter changes in the printing process. Consumers can modify customization parameters (color, size, materials) before printing, and the system adjusts printing parameters accordingly to produce the desired physical representation, enabling tactile interaction with customized products.
2Adaptability or versatility
If 3-D printing capability is added to client devices, then product customization capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes 3-D printing capability optional and universal rather than requiring all client devices to have built-in printers. The system works with any device that can receive 3-D object data and communicate with a 3-D printer, whether the printer is built-in, externally connected, or cloud-based. This multi-functionality approach allows customization without mandating complex hardware in every client device.
3Reliability
If interactive content items with 3-D printing are provided, then customer satisfaction is improved, but data transmission requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential 3-D object data and customization parameters from the complete product information, transmitting only what is necessary for printing. The server stores comprehensive product data locally, and only transmits the specific 3-D model data and customization parameters needed for the printing process, reducing network bandwidth requirements while maintaining full customization capability.
Data Source
AI summary
According to at least one illustrative embodiment, a computer device and a corresponding method of enabling customization and 3-D prototyping of a 3-D representation of an object illustrated by an interactive content item comprise providing, by the computer device, an interactive content item including a representation of a three-dimensional (3-D) object to a client device. Upon an end user of the client device interacts with the interactive content item and provides one or more customization parameters for a 3-D representation of the 3-D object, the computer device receives the one or more customization parameters from the client device. The computer device then cause a 3-D representation of the 3-D object to be printed by a 3-D printer associated with the client device.