Cardboard Machine Kit: Modules for the Rapid Prototyping of Rapid Prototyping Machines

Abstract

© 2017 ACM. Digital fabrication machines (such as laser cutters or 3D printers) can be instructed to produce any part geometry within their application space. However, machines' application spaces are not easily modified or extended. How can we enable the production of application-specific computer-controlled machines by machine building novices? How can we facilitate rapid prototyping of rapid prototyping tools? We propose a novel set of modules, the Cardboard Machine Kit, for the construction of digital fabrication machines. These open-source modules are implemented using cardboard frames, stepper motors, and networked electronics controlled through a Python library. We evaluated the kit both through machine building workshops and by studying the usage of the kit in the wild. In the wild we observed more than 500 novice machine builders who built 125 different machines for 15 different application types. We argue that this breadth demonstrates the efficacy of this modular approach. Finally we discuss the limitations of the Cardboard Machine Kit and discuss how it could inform future machine building infrastructure.