Software pipeline for end-to-end fabrication of functional devices

Abstract

Fabricating custom electronic devices has gained popularity in recent years thanks to advances in digital fabrication technologies. However, the software tools to aid users with the fabrication process have lagged behind, either being too complex for the novice user or constricting the design space too much for the sake of learnability. This thesis describes the software pipeline for a novel fabrication method that uses a laser cutter to automatically create fully-functional devices that work immediately after fabrication is complete. The software pipeline consists of a design interface, in which users can define the circuitry and geometry of the device to fabricate, and a post-processing system that transforms the design into machine instructions that the laser cutter uses to fabricate the device. With this pipeline, users can design and fabricate high-fidelity devices without needing to know the specifics behind the fabrication process.