arXiv subjects

Roy Zunder

Publications and source records attributed to Roy Zunder.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Convivial Fabrication: Towards Relational Computational Tools For and From Craft Practices

Computational tools for fabrication often treat materials as passive rather than active participants in design, abstracting away relationships between craftspeople and materials. For craft communities that value relational practices, abstractions limit the adoption and creative uptake of computational tools which might otherwise be beneficial. To understand how better tool design could support richer relations between individuals, tools, and materials, we interviewed expert woodworkers, fiber artists, and metalworkers. We identify three orders of convivial relations central to craft: immediate relations between individuals, tools, and materials; mid-range relations between communities, platforms, and shared materials; and extended relations between institutions, infrastructures, and ecologies. Our analysis shows how craftspeople engage and struggle with convivial relations across all three orders, creating workflows that learn from materials while supporting autonomy. We conclude with design principles for computational tools and infrastructures to better support material dialogue, collective knowledge, and accountability, along with richer and more convivial relations between craftspeople, tools, and the material worlds around them.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Y-AR: A Mixed Reality CAD Tool for 3D Wire Bending

Wire bending is a technique used in manufacturing to mass-produce items such as clips, mounts, and braces. Recent advances in programmable wire bending have made this process increasingly accessible for custom fabrication. However, CNC wire benders are controlled using Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software, without design tools, making custom designs challenging to produce. We present Y-AR, a Computer Aided Design (CAD) interface for 3D wire bending. Y-AR uses mixed reality to let designers create clips, mounts, and braces to physically connect objects to their surrounding environment. The interface incorporates springs as design primitives which (1) apply forces to hold objects, and (2) counter-act dimensional inaccuracies inherently caused by mid-air modeling and measurement errors in AR. Springs are a natural design element when working with metal wire-bending given its specific material properties. We demonstrate workflows to design and fabricate a range of mechanisms in Y-AR as well as structures made using free-hand design tools. We found that combining gesture-based interaction with fabrication-aware design principles allowed novice users to create functional wire connectors, even when using imprecise XR-based input. In our usability evaluation, all 12 participants successfully designed and fabricated a functional bottle holder using Y-AR.

cs.HC↗