MIT's X-Hinges Enables 3-Axis 3D-Printed Sensing With 2 Materials

3 articles · Updated · MIT News · Oct 22

MIT CSAIL and Tianjin University unveiled X-Hinges, software that automatically embeds two different printable materials so interactive 3D-printed objects can sense motion more accurately in real time.
2 materials solve a key flaw in earlier designs, where sensors and wire-like traces used the same material and produced overlapping signals that muddied motion data.
3 axes of motion—compression, vertical and lateral—let users design more capable objects than prior one-axis systems, with sensors placed at joints to capture bending from multiple directions.
Examples include a glove that teaches a humanoid hand to grasp blocks, an origami-style lamp that changes brightness when pinched, and a tactile platform that identifies objects such as a banana.
Early November will bring a formal presentation at the ACM UIST conference, while the team still works on calibration so separately printed copies produce consistent sensor readings.