3D Printer Terminal Displaying Modelable Objects from Remaining Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of 3D printers face difficulty in intuitively determining the number and size of objects that can be modeled with the remaining amount of modeling material, as existing systems do not effectively provide information about the remaining material, leading to wastage of usable materials.
Innovation Solution
An information processing terminal with a processor and memory, capable of acquiring information about expendable parts and displaying the number and size of objects that can be modeled with the remaining material, using a predetermined object as a sample model to calculate the feasible models based on the material's amount, shape, and size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional 3D printers are used with basic material tracking, then the printer can operate with multiple print heads, but users cannot intuitively grasp how many objects can be modeled with remaining material
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the remaining material amount and displays it as a visual representation showing how many objects can be modeled. Instead of just showing numerical remaining amounts, the system generates graphical information that replicates the actual modelable output, allowing users to直观ly understand the remaining material's utility without complex calculations.
2Loss of substance
If users replace expendable parts with usable material remaining, then material waste is reduced, but users lack information about what objects can be created with the remaining amount
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback to users by displaying information about the number and types of objects that can be modeled with the remaining material in expendable parts. This feedback loop allows users to make informed decisions about whether to replace parts or continue using remaining materials, thereby reducing unnecessary waste while maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The control apparatus acts as an intermediary between the physical remaining material and the user's decision-making process. It translates the abstract concept of remaining material amount into concrete information about modelable objects, serving as a mediator that bridges the gap between material quantity and practical usability.
3Productivity
If detailed information about remaining material is provided, then resource management is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential information needed for resource management decisions - specifically, the number of modelable objects and their basic characteristics - from the complex data about remaining materials. By taking out only the critical information required for user decision-making, the system improves resource management without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention acquires information about an expendable part including a modeling material to be used in modeling by a control apparatus configured to model a three-dimensional object, and displays information about the number of objects that can be modeled in a form corresponding to a predetermined object by the control apparatus with the amount of the modeling material remaining in the expendable part corresponding to the acquired information and also displays information specifying the shape and size of the predetermined object.