Responsive 3D Printing: A Stimulus-Driven Approach Inspired by Phototropism

This paper proposes a responsive 3D printing framework inspired by phototropism, enabling additive manufacturing processes to adjust material deposition iteratively based on environmental stimuli. The system employs an agent-based model (ABM) that interprets light conditions captured through computer vision, dynamically influencing deposition trajectories. Discrete Deposition Modelling (DDM) is used to facilitate bead-wise material placement, allowing reassessment of environmental inputs at each cycle. The methodology is implemented through an integrated feedback loop, coordinating sensing, behavioural computation, and on-the-fly G-code generation. Validation experiments, supported by digital simulations, demonstrate that individual and collective agent behaviours effectively respond to changing light conditions, producing directional growth patterns. These results confirm the feasibility of stimulus-responsive fabrication and suggest new directions for developing context-aware additive manufacturing workflows informed by environmental inputs.