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3D PRINTER WITH AUGMENTED REALITY

AR & The Tactigon

Controlling a 3D printer hands free? It is possible now, with The Tactigon Skin!

Hello trom Maker Faire Rome and The Tactigon! We are introducing the latest project: an augmented reality application that connects to an OctoPrint instance and allows to control a 3D printer – hands free!!! 

Think about every time you had to level your heatbed, maybe with auto-level plugin, and switch from thumbscrews to the mouse, forth and back until the bed is OK.  Not to mention the need of the PC, or the browser on your mobile device, not always friendly on these devices. 

Here comes The Tactigon Skin (T-Skin), an awesome device, programmable with Arduino IDE that integrates 9DoF IMU with accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, four programmable buttons, and an ergonomic case which lets you use your hand while wearing it!

T-Skin is man-machine interface revolution. It’s the first programmable fashion design hand band and It’s not only a device for specialized and technology passionate people but it’s the real extension of the hand. Hand is our natural interface with real world, and with T-SKIN it becomes our interface with digital world.

You can download the APP and T-SKIN from our store and it will turn into a man-machine interface, or a robot controller or a drone controller. It is very easy to use thanks to the ergonomics form factor; one application can be the use of T-SKIN during company presentation or a training course. T-SKIN has 4 programmable key for different combination of hand movements and fingers.

Things used in this project

Hardware

  • Tactigon Skin
  • Android Device
  • Raspberry
  • 3d generic printer

Software

  • Processing
  • Arduino IDE
  • Google Cardboard VR SDJ
  • Octoprint

Let’s take a look at it!

OctoPrint is a fantastic environment which exposes REST API, with JSON reply. It enables remote control of your 3D printer(s) over HTTP connection.  But you need traditional control input devices!

3D printer hands free

By using this application, you will have temperatures, progress percentage, estimated times, stop button, and many more features offered by OctoPrint directly in your AR device!

Visore AR

The T-Skin acts as human interface to provide a cozy process.

The application uses Cardboard SDK, but thanks to Processing for Android VR mode, we made it easy to customize for everyone who would like to expand its functionality, edit the user interface, or input behaviour.

3d printer hands free

Final Result

You can see the final result on our YouTube Channel. With gestures, you can browse printer “Parameters”, like % Complete, Print Time and Print Left (see photo 1)  or in the “Status” menu you can see Bed Temperature, Tool Temperature and Printer Status (Printing, Operating, Error).

You can also “Start” o “Stop” printer, with the menu “Command”. Parameter can be shown or hidden by using the parameters buttons.

 

 

Screen command

 

Screen command

 

Sketch Arena

You will find this project and more in our “sketch arena”: a digital creative space for maker and technologies lover. Visit our web site here and sign up.