We propose a block-stacking system based on capacitance. The system, called Capacitive Blocks, allows users to build 3D models in a virtual space by stacking physical blocks. The construction of the block-stacking system is simple, and fundamental components including physical blocks can be made with a 3D printer. The block is a capacitor that consists of two layers made of conductive plastic filament and between them a layer made of non-conductive plastic filament. In this paper, we present a prototype of this block-stacking system and the mechanism that detects the height of blocks (i.e., the number of stacked blocks) by measuring the capacitance of the stacked blocks, which changes in accordance with the number of stacked blocks.
['Arika Yoshida', 'Buntarou Shizuki', 'Jiro Tanaka']
Capacitive Blocks: A Block System that Connects the Physical with the Virtual using Changes of Capacitance