Bitblox: A Printable Digital Material for Electromechanical Machines

Abstract

As additive manufacturing of mechanical parts gains broad acceptance, efforts to embed electronic or electromechanical components in these parts are intensifying. We discuss recent work in printable electronics and introduce an alternative, which we call Bitblox. Bitblox are small, modular, interconnecting blocks that embed simple electromechanical connectivity and functionality. Not all blocks are identical; instead the unique combinations and positions of Bitblox within an assembly determine the mechanical and electrical properties of the assembly. We describe the design details of Bitblox, compare them to similar materials, and demonstrate their use in a working three-dimensional printer through several examples.

BibTeX

@article{MacCurdy2014,
  year = {2014},
  publisher = {The International Journal of Robotics Research},
  author = {MacCurdy, Robert and McNicoll, Anthony and Lipson, Hod},
  title = {Bitblox: A Printable Digital Material for Electromechanical Machines},
  journal = {International Journal of Robotics Research},
  volume = {33},
  number = {10},
  pages = {1342-1360},
  doi = {10.1177/0278364914532149},
}