Fabricable Segmented Design via Paintbrush Material Assignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for designing optical and electromagnetic devices often fail to consider fabricability, leading to designs that may not be feasible for manufacturing, especially as device complexity and feature sizes decrease.
Innovation Solution
A computing system-based method that generates a fabricable segmented design by receiving a design specification, updating material and touch statuses, and repeating the process until all segments are associated with a material, ensuring the design can be fabricated using a specific fabrication system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If design parameters are increased to optimize device performance, then device functionality is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases and fabricability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the device design into discrete units (e.g., pixels, meta-atoms, or functional blocks) that can be independently controlled and fabricated. This segmentation allows complex high-functionality devices to be broken down into manufacturable units, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary design optimization and fabricability assessment before actual manufacturing. By pre-determining which design parameters are fabricable and adjusting the design accordingly, the system avoids the need to modify designs later in the manufacturing process, thus maintaining both high functionality and ease of manufacture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If device feature sizes are decreased to improve performance, then device functionality is enhanced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the device into discrete units with standardized dimensions, the patent enables precise control over feature sizes. Each segment can be fabricated with controlled precision using standard manufacturing processes, allowing small feature sizes to be achieved without excessively high precision requirements across the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent systematically varies design parameters within defined ranges to optimize device functionality while maintaining manufacturability. By establishing parameter ranges that balance performance and manufacturing precision, the system achieves enhanced functionality without requiring extreme manufacturing precision.
3Reliability
If design optimization is performed without considering fabrication constraints, then theoretical performance is maximized, but actual fabricability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where fabrication constraints and manufacturing capabilities are continuously fed back into the design optimization process. This closed-loop approach ensures that theoretical performance optimization does not diverge from actual fabricability, as design adjustments are made based on manufacturing feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary assessment of fabrication constraints before finalizing the design. By evaluating manufacturing capabilities, material availability, and process limitations in advance, the system optimizes designs that are both theoretically performant and actually fabricable, avoiding the need for redesign later.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for ensuring fabricability of segmented designs are provided. In some embodiments, a computing system receives a design specification to be used to create a proposed segmented design. Each segment of the proposed segmented design indicates a material within the segment. The proposed segmented design includes segments that indicate at least two different materials. The computing system chooses a segment to touch with a paintbrush pattern for a first material. The computing system updates a set of material statuses for each material based on the chosen segment. The computing system updates a set of touch statuses for each material based on the chosen segment. The choosing and updating actions are repeated until all segments are associated with a material. The computing system generates the proposed segmented design based on the sets of material statuses.