Enabling Computation, Control, and Customization of Materials with Digital Fabrication Processes

Michael Rivera, Carnegie Mellon University 

1:00-2:00 pm Wednesday, 31 March 2022

via WebEx

Low-cost digital fabrication technology, and in particular 3D printing, is ushering in a new wave of personal computing. The technology promises that users will be able to design, customize and create any object to fit their needs. While the objects that we interact with daily are generally made of many types of materials—they may be hard, soft, conductive, etc.—current digital fabrication machines have largely been limited to producing rigid and passive objects. In this talk, I will present my research on developing digital fabrication processes that incorporate new materials such as textiles and hydrogels. These processes include novel 3D printer designs, software tools, and human-in-the-loop fabrication techniques. With these processes, new materials can be controlled, customized, and integrate computational capabilities—at design time and after fabrication—for creating personalized and interactive objects. I will conclude Research this talk with my vision for enabling anyone to create with digital fabrication technology and its impact beyond the individual.

Michael Rivera is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University where he is advised by Scott Hudson. He works at the intersection of human-computer interaction, digital fabrication, and materials science. He has published papers on novel digital fabrication processes and interactive systems at top-tier HCI venues, including ACM CHI, UIST, DIS, and IMWUT. His work has been recognized with a Google – CMD-IT Dissertation Fellowship, an Adobe Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, and a Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship. Before Carnegie Mellon, he completed a M.S.E in Computer Graphics and Game Technology and a B.S.E in Digital Media Design at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also worked at the Immersive Experiences Lab of HP Labs, and as a software engineer at Facebook and LinkedIn.