The FreeD: Handheld Device Allows Human-Computer Collaboration in 3D Craft

Researchers at MIT introduce the FreeD: a handheld digital milling device, which is tracked and controlled with reference to a virtual 3D model. The FreeD allows unskilled makers to produce complex carving tasks, as well as personalizing and modifying the digital 3D models while physically carving. The control software offers guidance according to static virtual models or dynamic ones, which may be altered directly or parametrically. In addition, the FreeD is also able to semi-autonomously move and carve. The FreeD contains three servo motors and one DC motor, and a motion tracking sensor and a pressure sensor.

Transcript

00:00:05 The FreeD is a handheld, augmented device that allows you to carve and sculpt manually with your hands without being knowledgeable or skilled in this process. Currently there are two ways to do things: one, to use a machine, a robotic fabricator that will do it for us, or to hold a chisel and to sculpt by

00:00:23 hand. However it takes many years to train using a manual device and today most of us don't have this knowledge so this technology allows us to use our hand with the computer help- ing us and assisting us to be much more engaged and to create this intimate relationship between the maker, the hand, and

00:00:42 the material. So the way the tool works is basically the computer tracks the tool at every point. There is a tracker on the tool itself. It's magnetic tracking so its very precise. And basically the computer knows and keeps track of whatever material is removed by the user. Every position the

00:01:00 user gets to with the tool the computer knows that the material that was there is gone because if the user was able to reach that point that material is gone. And basically the computer just makes sure that the user does not penetrate a 3-D virtual model that sits in the computers memory. So the user can work freely and

00:01:19 remove as much material as they want but as soon as they get very close or up to the surface of the 3-D model (remember every- thing is 3-D tracked to a very high precision) the computer stops the carving tool from working so the user cannot harm the model itself. With this technology our intention was not

00:01:37 to make a new, better fabrication technology that would be more accurate or more efficient, but what we want to do is to involve this subjective intention, the personal making process in digital practice. Each of us will have a different tool path. If we all rely on the same reference we still have a

00:01:57 different story. This unique narrative, this unique subjective signature on the final product.