Interlocking assemblies: Applications and methods

Abstract

Interlocking assemblies are assemblies where all the parts, except a key part, are immobilized relative to one another, preventing the whole assembly from falling apart under external forces. Starting from the key part, interlocking assemblies can be repeatedly disassembled and re-assembled, facilitating reuse of the parts. Due to advantages in structural stability and disassemblability, interlocking assemblies have been used in a variety of applications, including puzzles, 3D printing, furniture, and architecture. However, designing interlocking assemblies is a highly challenging task because of the global nature of the interlocking property. To address this challenge, a number of computational methods and tools have been developed in the last decade, mainly by the computer graphics community, for designing and fabricating personalized interlocking assemblies with various geometric forms. The design problem is typically formulated as a shape decomposition, joint planning, or 3D tiling problem, according to the user provided input. In this paper, we review these problem formulations, classify the state-of-the-art computational design methods, and propose possible directions for future research.