Virtual Sculpting and 3D Printing for Young People with Disabilities

Abstract

Abstract:In this paper, we present the SHIVA project which was designed to provide virtual sculpting tools for young people with complex disabilities, to allow them to engage with artistic and creative activities that they might otherwise never be able to access. Modern 3D printing then allows us to physically build their creations. To achieve this, we combined our expertise in education, accessible technology, user interfaces and geometric modelling. We built a generic accessible graphical user interface (GUI) and a suitable geometric modelling system and used these to produce two prototype modelling exercises. These tools were deployed in a school for students with complex disabilities and are now being used for a variety of educational and developmental purposes. In this paper, we present the project's motivations, approach and implementation details together with initial results, including 3D printed objects designed by young people who have disabilties.

Measurements of the mechanical response of unidirectional 3D-printed PLA

“…Additive manufacturing allows automatic fabrication of products of complex shape with a significant reduction in manufacturing cost, compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing techniques [1,2]. In the last decade, the application of additive manufacturing has grown substantially in both volume and scope [3][4][5], mainly due to the availability of relatively inexpensive 3D-printing devices. Additive manufacturing techniques available commercially include stereolithography (STL), selective laser sintering (SLS), inkjet printing (IP) and fused deposition modelling (FDM) [6].…”

The use of technology to provide physical interaction experiences for cognitively able young people who have complex physical disabilities

“…Common themes of motivation have emerged including activities involving 'fun', control (especially physical control), creativity (McLoughlin et al, 2016) and those where there is an element of challenge or competition. The control of simple toys and more advanced robotic toys has been found to be very engaging.…”

“…Accessibility is an essential point of focus; each individual has specific needs and abilities and so the user interface and hardware need to be adaptable to suit each person, through customisation and, sometimes, bespoke solutions. An example of this is The Shiva Project (McLoughlin et al, 2016) which identified the importance of a flexible profile-based user interface when creating systems for a range of individuals who have special requirements.…”

La fabricación digital como herramienta de educación inclusiva para personas con discapacidad visual

“…De acuerdo al origen de la investigación, la Figura 6A no reporta aportes de países latinoamericanos y africanos, con excepción de México. La mayoría proviene de países europeos (52 %) (Giraud, 2017;Mcloughlin, 2016;Bonnet de León, 2020;Evelyn-Wright et al, 2020;Molins-Ruano, 2018;Clements, 2016;Díaz-Navarro & Sánchez de La Parra-Pérez, 2021;Götzelmann, 2018;Gual-Orti, 2015;Koelemeijer & Winterbourne, 2021;Kostakis et al, 2015). Las publicaciones restantes se distribuyen entre Norteamérica, con 29 % (Hernández Sánchez, 2020;Smith, 2020;Grumman & Carroll, 2019;Wedler, 2012;Buehler, 2016;VanderMolen & Fortuna, 2021;LeSuer, 2019), y Asia, con 19 % (Jain, 2018;Singhal & Balaji, 2020;Wu, 202;See, 2021).…”