METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A PHYSICAL VOLUMETRIC REPRESENTATION OF A VIRTUAL THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT

1 . A method for manufacturing a physical volumetric representation of a virtual three-dimensional object, the method comprising:

receiving a series of adjacent cross-sections of the virtual three-dimensional object, the series comprising a first cross-section of the virtual three-dimensional object and a second cross-section of the virtual three-dimensional object;

depositing a first layer of transparent polymer over a build platform;

curing a portion of the first layer of transparent polymer;

with ink, printing an image of the first cross-section onto a cured exposed dominant face of the first layer;

depositing a second layer of transparent polymer over the first layer of transparent polymer;

curing a portion of the second layer of transparent polymer;

with ink, printing an image of the second cross-section onto a cured exposed dominant face of the second layer according to an order of the series of cross-sections; and

releasing a stack of layers comprising the first layer of transparent polymer and the second layer of transparent polymer from the build platform.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the series of adjacent cross-sections comprises: slicing the virtual three-dimensional object into a set of virtual adjacent layers of discrete virtual thickness, the set of virtual layers comprising a first virtual layer, selecting the first cross-section from within the first virtual layer, setting a first opacity level of the first cross-section, and blurring a periphery of the first cross-section to generate an adjusted first cross-section, and wherein printing the image of the first cross-section onto the cured exposed dominant face of the first layer comprises printing an image of the adjusted first cross-section onto the cured exposed dominant face of the first layer according to the first opacity level.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the series of adjacent cross-sections of the virtual three-dimensional object comprises slicing the virtual three-dimensional object into a set of virtual layers of discrete virtual thickness based on a selected resolution for the physical volumetric representation, the set of virtual layers comprising a first virtual layer, selecting a set of adjacent and offset cross-sections, for a series of cross-sections, of the virtual three-dimensional object contained within the first virtual layer, setting an opacity level for each cross-section in the series of cross-sections, and combining the series of cross-sections into a composite first cross-section based on an opacity level specified for each cross-section in the series of cross-sections, and wherein printing the image of the first cross-section onto the cured exposed dominant face of the first layer comprises printing a two-dimensional representation of the first cross-section onto the first layer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the first layer of transparent polymer over the build platform comprises depositing light-activated resin over a previous layer of transparent polymer, and wherein curing the portion of the first layer comprises exposing the dominant face of the first layer to light to cure a film across the dominant face of the first layer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the first layer of transparent polymer over the build platform comprises depositing a volume of sugar-based syrup over a previous layer of sugar-based syrup, and wherein curing the portion of the first layer comprises evaporating moisture from the volume of sugar-based syrup.

6 . The method of claim 5 , curing the portion of the first layer comprises exposing the volume of sugar-based syrup to a heat source for a preset period of time.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein printing the image of the first cross-section onto the cured exposed dominant face of the first layer comprises printing a combination of light-activated cyan ink, light-activated magenta ink, light-activated yellow ink, and light-activated black ink onto the cured exposed dominant face of the first layer, and further comprising exposing the first layer to light to cure the combination of light-activated cyan ink, light-activated magenta ink, light-activated yellow ink, and light-activated black ink.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein printing the image of the first cross-section onto the cured exposed dominant face of the first layer comprises printing a first layer of colored ink in the form of a first image onto the exposed dominant face of the first layer, printing a second layer of white ink in the form of a second image over the first layer of colored ink, and printing a third layer of colored ink in the form of a third image over the second layer of white ink, the first image, the second image, and the third image defining components of the first cross-section.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein printing the image of the first layer of colored ink comprises printing a combination of cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink at a first opacity level onto the dominant face of the first layer, wherein printing the image of the second layer of white ink comprises printing white ink at a second opacity level different from the first opacity level over the first layer of colored ink, and wherein printing the image of the third layer of colored ink comprises printing a combination of cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink at a third opacity level different from the second opacity level over the second layer of white ink.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising etching the exposed dominant face of the first layer to create pores in the exposed dominant face of the first layer, wherein printing the image of the first cross-section onto the cured exposed dominant face of the first layer comprising printing ink over pores in the exposed dominant face of the first layer, pores in the exposed dominant face of the first layer adsorbing ink.

10 . method of claim 10 , wherein etching the exposed dominant face of the first layer comprising irradiating the exposed dominant face of the first layer with a laser beam to create an array of pores in the first layer at a depth less than a thickness of the first layer.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the first layer of transparent polymer and depositing the second layer of transparent polymer comprise depositing a sequence of layers of uniform rectilinear footprint.

13 . A method for manufacturing a physical volumetric representation of a virtual three-dimensional object, the method comprising:

receiving a series of adjacent cross-sections of the virtual three-dimensional object;

for each cross-section in the series of cross-sections, printing the cross-section over a transparent portion of a dominant face of one substrate in a set of substrates;

assembling the set of substrates into a stack, each substrate in the set of substrates positioned within the stack according to a position within the virtual three-dimensional object of a cross-section printed on the substrate;

drawing a vacuum around the stack;

in the presence of the vacuum, introducing a transparent fluid to interstices between substrates in the stack, an index of refraction of the transparent fluid approximating an index of refraction of a substrate in the set of substrates; and

releasing the vacuum around the stack.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein drawing the vacuum around the stack comprises calculating a clamping force for the stack based on a dimension of a substrate in the stack, a material of a substrate in the stack, and a type of the transparent fluid, clamping the set of substrates in the stack according to calculated clamping force, and drawing the vacuum on a pressure vessel containing the stack for a preset period of time based on a geometry of the stack.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein drawing the vacuum around the stack comprises drawing the vacuum on the pressure vessel over a first period of time, and wherein introducing the transparent fluid to the stack comprises filling a portion of the pressure vessel with the transparent fluid over a second period of time following the first period of time.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein printing a cross-section onto a substrate in the set of substrates comprises printing food-safe ink onto a translucent sheet of cast sugar.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein introducing the transparent fluid to interstices between substrates in the stack comprises introducing water to interstices between substrates in the stack, and wherein assembling the set of substrates into the stack comprises compressing the stack under elevated temperature and substantially normal to a dominant face of a substrate in the stack.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the series of adjacent cross-sections of the virtual three-dimensional object comprises:

slicing the virtual three-dimensional object into a set of virtual layers of discrete virtual thickness based on a selected resolution for the physical volumetric representation, and

for each virtual layer in the set of virtual layers,

selecting a set of adjacent cross-sections for a series of cross-sections of a portion of the virtual three-dimensional object contained within the virtual layer,

setting an opacity level for each cross-section in the series of cross-sections,

combining the series of cross-sections into a composite cross-section based on an opacity level set for each cross-section in the series of cross-sections, and

wherein printing the cross-section for each cross-section in the series of cross-sections comprises printing the composite cross-section onto a transparent portion of a dominant face of a substrate in the set of substrates for each virtual layer in the set of virtual layers.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein printing a cross-section over a substrate in the set of substrates for each cross-section in the series of cross-sections comprises printing, in ink, an image of a first cross-section in the series of cross-sections onto a first substrate in the set of substrates, the first substrate comprising an array of pores, of depth less than a thickness of the first substrate, across a dominant face of the first substrate.

19 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising molding the first substrate in a transparent polymer defining an array of pores across a dominant face.

21 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming a bore in a substrate in the set of substrate and installing a magnetic element into the bore in the substrate assembled into the stack, the stack coupling to a second stack by the magnetic element.