MobiPrint: The Autonomous 3D Printer That Could Revolutionize Accessibility

All 3D printers, despite the diversity of technology, must be anchored in one place to print. They can, of course, be transported from place to place, but always by humans: none of them have a mechanism that allows them to travel independently to the printing location. With the MobiPrint, that has changed.

Aiming to overcome current technological barriers, a group of researchers at the University of Washington came up with a very innovative desktop-sized 3D printer: the MobiPrint. This printer allows people to create their objects at home, but it also has autonomous movement so it can arrive and print independently in a predetermined location. MobiPrint automatically measures the perimeter of a room and prints objects directly on the floor. The team, led by Daniel Campos Zamor, presented the MobiPrint project at the ACM’s Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology in Pittsburgh. The project, funded by the National Science Foundation, also featured Liang He, an assistant professor at Purdue University and former doctoral student at the Allen School.

Structure of MobiPrint.

The Innovative Characteristics of MobiPrint 

What are the innovative features of this new 3D printer? The system consists of a modified Prusa Mini+ 3D printer mounted on a Roborock S5 robot vacuum cleaner. With a graphic user interface designed by the team, users can draw objects in the spaces mapped by the robot. The printer uses the open-source Valetudo software that makes use of a LiDAR, Light Detection And Ranging, system to map the surrounding environment. The system is the same used by domestic robot vacuum cleaners that clean our homes. MobiPrint can print on surfaces such as carpet, vinyl and hardwood floors, with dimensions up to 180x180x65 mm.

The software allows the user to view and verify the robot path locally, without the need to connect to the cloud. The user can choose a template from MobiPrint’s library or upload their own design. After selecting the location on the map and adjusting the size and position of the design, the robot moves to the designated location and prints the object directly on the floor. The objects are printed in a common PLA bioplastic. This printing feature makes it possible to create useful structures for accessibility, customizations for the home, or artistic decorations for an environment.

Mapping the route to independently reach the printing site.

At the moment, the device can only print in “park and print” mode: when MobiPrint has located the designated print location from the map, it parks and prints the designated object. MobiPrint needs to remain stationary during the printing process. This currently limits the printer’s ability to create large designs. However, Campos Zamora is considering expanding its capabilities to allow it to print larger objects in continuous mode.

MobiPrint Could Serve People with Visual Impairments

The team of researchers at the University of Washington thought of MobiPrint not as a simple device for beautifying one’s home with artistic 3D printed creations, but as a concrete step toward inclusion. Indeed, the lab led by Campos Zamora is dedicated to developing innovative tools designed to improve the quality of life for people with visual impairments.

“ One of the things that really inspired this project was looking at the tactile surface indicators that help blind and low vision users find their way around a space,” Campos Zamora explained to IEEE Spectrum. These markers could provide useful information, such as directions for finding your way around a conference, or warnings of hazards, such as the presence of stairs. MobiPrint could even create ramps to cover unevenness in floors.

MobiPrint can print tactile surface markers to help blind and visually impaired people orient themselves within a room (left) and can create supports for their aids such as canes (right).

“I think about kids out biking or my friends and family members who are in wheelchairs getting to the end of a sidewalk without a curb,” said Jon E. Froehlich, a professor at the Allen School. “It would be so great if in the future we could just send Daniel’s robot down the street and have it build a ramp, even if it was working just for a short period of time. That just shows you how reconfigurable environments can be.”

Researchers are working to enable MobiPrint to remove printed objects and recycle the plastic. They are also exploring the idea of printing on other surfaces, such as tables or walls, in outdoor environments and with different materials. Using concrete, for example, is not yet possible.

The ultimate goal is to increasingly adapt technology to people’s needs, to make environments, both domestic and public, more inclusive. This project is not only an example of technological progress, but a real tool for improving daily life, with special attention to the needs of people with visual impairments. Although the device is still under development and has some limitations, its potential applications pave the way for new ways to make environments more accessible and reconfigurable.

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 *All Photo Credits: Makeability lab.