LegoCAD: Improving the design process through a Lego-inspired tangible interface

While CAD systems have been immensely beneficial they require specialist knowledge and expertise for their operation, particularly where advanced modelling, simulation and analysis (virtual prototyping) is to be used. This requirement, combined with their dependence upon 2D digital interaction limits user engagement, constrains design process activities and restricts design performance. This includes the nature and level of collaboration and co-creation within design teams, with users and wider stakeholders; the accessibility of virtual prototyping tools including rapid prototyping; and the efficacy of the design (team) when undertaking tasks, such as ideation, design development, evaluation and DfX activities. To overcome these restrictions, the concept of a Lego-inspired tangible interface for CAD, virtual prototyping (VP) and rapid prototyping (RP) is to be investigated. The corresponding research programme comprises two interrelated research streams. The first addresses the technical and HCI challenges associated with the creation of real-time physical-to-digital model integration and user-in-the-loop digital-to-physical model integration. Both of these topics offer significant future research opportunities in their own right. The second research stream concerns investigation of the affordances, complementarity (with VP tools) and limitations of a Lego-inspired tangible interface for improving collaboration/co-creation, design performance and accessibility to VP and RP. Given the exploratory nature of the research three engineering domains will be considered: industrial design (assistive technology), special purpose machinery and construction.

The UK remains a top 10 industrial country with a strong emphasis on innovative devices and products. Technologies such as CAD and 3D printing have been instrumental in supporting and expediting innovation processes. However, many designers and innovators are either not proficient with CAD systems or do not have the necessary time and/or financial resources to commission design houses to undertake product development activities. As a consequence, many ideas are very slow to progress or falter long before a commercially ready product or even a fully functional prototype is produced. In addition, it is all but impossible to involve end users or the general public in collaboration/co-creation activities via CAD systems. This project will seek to address these aspects through the creation of a tangible engineering design interface realised through integration of CAD with Lego. This will make CAD and Virtual Prototyping tools more accessible to designers/innovators and end users, as well as increasing the speed and quality of the process. For example, once a physical Lego model has been constructed and refined the resulting CAD model can be used to execute 3D printing with relative ease. The prerequisite for a CAD model, and corresponding proficiency in CAD, in order to produce 3D prints is acknowledged as one of the major barriers to the uptake of 3D printing. Thus, in addition to eliminating the need for CAD skills, the project will expedite the construction of physical models to allow further improvement in user engagement much earlier in the process via the resulting 3D prints.