AIR Option 1: Technology Translation Gesture-based free form shape modeling

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating gesture-based 3D modeling to fill a major design to personal manufacturing technology gap. The translated gesture-based 3D modeling has the following unique features: hands-free, intuitive, and on-the-fly interaction that provides transparency in supporting iterative early design thinking, and hands-based visual expression in a natural fashion when compared to the leading competing windows-icons-menus-pointers (WIMP) based 3D modeling tools in this market space. The project accomplishes this goal by developing a natural-user-interface based gesture recognition and shape interaction technology resulting in a proof of concept prototype for a free-form shape modeling 3D synthetic environment using a depth sensing camera. The partnership engages ZeroUI to provide guidance in the gesture based 3D modeling, user testing with prototypes, and other critical aspects defining future realistic scenarios as they pertain to the potential to translate the gesture-based 3D modeling along a path that may result in a competitive commercial reality. The potential economic impact is expected to disrupt and tap into a global $200 Billion 3D technology and market applications in the next 3 to 5 years which will contribute to the U.S. competitiveness in this newly emerging gesture-based technology space and contribute to our nations creative design capacity. The societal impact, long term, will be to transform how everyone conceives 3D shapes and creates them thereby enabling personal manufacturing industry.