Millipath: Bridging Materialist Theory and System Development for Surface Texture Fabrication

Proponents of digital fabrication argue that future technologies will fundamentally reshape manufacturing; however, we still have a limited understanding of the relationship between contemporary digital fabrication technologies and the values and labor of people who make things. Contemporary materialist theories can offer insights into how interaction modalities with machines and materials influence human production activities. We aim to implement these theoretical principles in technical system development. We focus on action as a bridging concept between abstract notions regarding human-machine-material relationships and concrete digital fabrication system features. We use CNC-milled surface texture production on wood as a case study. We follow a research-through-design process to develop Millipath, an action-oriented programming platform enabling the parametric design of machine toolpaths. Through the analysis of autobiographical data from fabricating artifacts, we investigate how digital fabrication systems informed by materialist theories support expressive modes of production and design decisions in response to material behaviors.