Mixed Reality Modeling for Pre-Print 3D Object Validation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 3D printing methods require multiple iterations to ensure the printed object meets functional and aesthetic requirements, leading to material waste, time consumption, and increased costs due to the inability to predict performance before physical creation.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing mixed reality to render a virtual model, simulate usage context, predict deficiencies, suggest edits, and integrate improvements before printing, leveraging mixed reality and 3D printing to enhance the design process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If multiple physical iterations are performed to ensure the printed object meets functional and aesthetic requirements, then the object quality and performance are improved, but material waste increases, time consumption increases, and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject qualityVSAvoidmaterial waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by simulating the printing process and predicting potential deficiencies in the virtual model before actual physical printing occurs. This allows design corrections to be made in the virtual domain, preventing material waste from failed physical iterations while maintaining high object quality through pre-validation of design functionality and aesthetics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates and iterates on virtual copies of the 3D model in a mixed reality environment, allowing multiple design iterations without consuming physical materials. The virtual model can be repeatedly modified, simulated, and validated, and only the final optimized design is printed physically, thereby eliminating material waste associated with trial-and-error physical prototyping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple physical iterations are performed to ensure the printed object meets functional and aesthetic requirements, then the object quality and performance are improved, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject qualityVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation and testing in the virtual environment before physical printing, identifying and correcting potential issues in advance. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming physical iterations, as the virtual simulation predicts how the object will perform and allows design optimization to occur in the digital domain where changes are instantaneous.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By working with virtual copies instead of physical objects during the design iteration phase, the system enables rapid prototyping and testing without the time constraints of physical manufacturing. Multiple design variations can be created and evaluated in minutes rather than hours or days, dramatically reducing the time to achieve high-quality designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple physical iterations are performed to ensure the printed object meets functional and aesthetic requirements, then the object quality and performance are improved, but costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject qualityVSAvoidcosts
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs cost-saving preliminary actions by validating designs virtually before committing to expensive physical printing. The mixed reality system simulates printing processes, predicts deficiencies, and suggests corrections in the digital domain, preventing wasteful spending on materials and printing operations for designs that would fail or require modifications anyway.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces expensive physical prototyping with inexpensive virtual copying and iteration. Multiple design iterations in the virtual environment cost virtually nothing compared to repeated physical printing, allowing extensive design optimization to occur without incurring material, energy, or operational costs associated with physical manufacturing iterations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

4Reliability

If the virtual model is iteratively improved through monitoring user interactions and predicting deficiencies, then the printed object meets performance standards, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperformance prediction accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback loops by monitoring user interactions with the virtual model and using this data to predict potential deficiencies in the printed object. The system analyzes how users manipulate and interact with the virtual model, translating these interactions into predictions about real-world performance issues, and automatically suggests corrections to improve reliability of the final printed object.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The mixed reality system acts as an intermediary between the virtual model and physical printing, providing a simulation layer that predicts performance without requiring complex physical testing infrastructure. This intermediary virtual environment translates user interactions into meaningful performance predictions, simplifying the overall system architecture compared to building and testing multiple physical prototypes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12423922B2Iterative virtual reality modeling amelioration for three-dimensional to-be-printed objects and virtual reality filament sections
Publication Date: 2025.09.23 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US12423922B2 patent drawing
  • US12423922B2 patent drawing

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a method, computer system, and computer program product for iteratively improving a virtual model of an object to be printed in a mixed reality environment is provided. The present invention may include rendering the virtual model within the mixed-reality environment; monitoring interactions between a user and the virtual model within the mixed-reality environment; predicting one or more deficiencies in the physical object based on the monitoring; suggesting one or more edits of the virtual model to the user to address the one or more predicted deficiencies; and integrating the one or more edits into the virtual model.