Rapid Prototyping through Octree Decomposition of 3d Geometric Models

This paper presents the integration of an Octree modeller, an assembly planning system, and a robotic cell to build approximate prototypes directly from 3D model data. The integration demonstrates the feasibility of an assembly based rapid prototyping approach referred to as OcBlox, which approximates Octree representations of 3D models with “Blox”. These cuboid units are automatically assembled to obtain a physical prototype. After detailing the algorithms used to generate the Octree’s assembly sequence, a single resolution example of a prototype built with this automated system is presented. The paper ends with a discussion of the potential of the approach to support post build machining and complex overhanging geometry.