3D printing on the surface of an acoustic hologram
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsHarish Bharti, Abhay K. Patra, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
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Abstract
A method and associated systems for 3D printing on the surface of an acoustic hologram uses an array of sound-wave emitters to generate a three-dimensional acoustic hologram of an object to be printed. This hologram is composed of acoustic standing waves that exert invisible acoustic radiation forces in three-dimensional space that feel like surfaces of a solid object. The resulting hologram creates a tactile illusion of an object floating in space within a three-dimensional printing area. When a 3D-printing medium is applied to the surface of the hologram, the medium solidifies on the hologram's surface to generate a hollow shell in the shape of the object to be printed.
Claims20
A 3D-printing system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, one or more arrays of sound-wave emitters, one or more spraying components, and a computer-readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device containing program code configured to be run by the processor via the memory to implement a method for 3D printing on the surface of an acoustic hologram, the method comprising:
- the printer receiving an identification of a three-dimensional object to be printed;
- the printer, in response to the receiving, directing an emitter array of the one or more arrays of sound-wave emitters to generate an acoustic hologram,
- where the acoustic hologram is an invisible but tactile three-dimensional representation of the object to be printed;
- and
- the printer, in response to the receiving, instructing a sprayer of the one or more spraying components to spray a printing medium onto a surface of the acoustic hologram, such that the printing medium solidifies on the surface of the acoustic hologram to form a solid representation of a corresponding surface of the three-dimensional object to be printed.
A method for 3D printing on the surface of an acoustic hologram, the method comprising:
- a 3D-printing system, where the system comprises a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, one or more arrays of sound-wave emitters, one or more spraying components, and a computer-readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device containing program code configured to be run by the processor via the memory to implement the method for 3D printing on the surface of an acoustic hologram, the method comprising:
- the printer receiving an identification of a three-dimensional object to be printed;
- the printer, in response to the receiving, directing an emitter array of the one or more arrays of sound-wave emitters to generate an acoustic hologram,
- where the acoustic hologram is an invisible but tactile three-dimensional representation of the object to be printed;
- and
- the printer, in response to the receiving, instructing a sprayer of the one or more spraying components to spray a printing medium onto a surface of the acoustic hologram, such that the printing medium solidifies on the surface of the acoustic hologram to form a solid representation of a corresponding surface of the three-dimensional object to be printed.
A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable hardware storage device having a computer-readable program code stored therein, the program code configured to be executed by 3D-printing system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, one or more arrays of sound-wave emitters, one or more spraying components, and a computer-readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device containing program code configured to be run by the processor via the memory to implement a method for 3D printing on the surface of an acoustic hologram, the method comprising:
- the printer receiving an identification of a three-dimensional object to be printed;
- the printer, in response to the receiving, directing an emitter array of the one or more arrays of sound-wave emitters to generate an acoustic hologram,
- where the acoustic hologram is an invisible but tactile three-dimensional representation of the object to be printed;
- and
- the printer, in response to the receiving, instructing a sprayer of the one or more spraying components to spray a printing medium onto a surface of the acoustic hologram, such that the printing medium solidifies on the surface of the acoustic hologram to form a solid representation of a corresponding surface of the three-dimensional object to be printed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.