Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Tianjin University developed X-Hinges, software for designing 3D-printed objects with built-in sensors.
The tool places conductive sensors near moving joints so an object can register how it bends or is touched. Designers can choose among different shapes and up to three directions of movement.
The team made a lamp that responds when someone squeezes it and a glove that records finger movements so a robotic hand can copy a grasp. These are research prototypes, not finished consumer products.
Small differences between prints can change sensor readings. The researchers used computer vision to recalibrate them, while a built-in calibration method remains future work.
