Mech. Eng. Prof. Karthik Ramani creates an object using his Handy Potter software. Photo by Purdue Research Foundation.
A new 3D Imaging software from Purdue engineers called Handy Potter allows users to craft computer generated 3D images using hand gestures. Handy Potter promises to have applications in engineering design, architecture, art and even video games.
Handy Potter uses depth sensing cameras and software algorithms to recognize a user’s hand gestures. These hand motions can then be used to create geometric shapes in CAD software. From there, the CAD models can be transferred to engineering tools, such as simulation software and 3D Printers.
A team of developers working under Mechanical Engineering Professor Karthik Ramani developed the software. Prof. Ramani is also a co-founder of the company Zero UI, which will be marketing Handy Potter.
Ramani said, “Zero UI is working on commercialization and has talked with a lot of device companies at this time. The software can be used to create models quickly and repurpose it for other things like 3D Printers or Simulation. At the moment we are targeting the maker community, but the tool can be used with simulation and CAD modellers using software API. It’s a matter of setting up the program interfaces.”
He added, "This technology is very simple and easy for users, but behind that simplicity are complicated and intelligent algorithms that represent a state-of-the-art synthesis of machine learning and geometric modeling … The technology could change the way people interact with the computer. This tool allows people to express their ideas rapidly and quickly using hand motions alone. We want to make it a natural action for people to gesture to a computer screen and create things with their hands."
It seems that ASME loved Handy Potter; it won several awards at the International Design Engineering Technology Conferences and the Computers and Information in Engineering Conference.
“We want to democratize modeling so that people, other than engineers and architects, can create a 3D design in their computer. In fact, our goal down the line is to make the computer invisible so you don’t have to train to be an expert in the software,” explained Prof. Ramani.
As many engineers still use clay and 3D Printers to help visualize their designs, Handy Potter could become a great early design cycle tool for creating those first product visualizations.
Video Courtesy of Photo by Purdue Research Foundation.
Source Purdue.