ARTISTA: Redeﬁning Pottery Design with Virtual Reality and Physically

Simulated Clay

Gilda Manfredi

1 a

, Gabriele Gilio

1 b

, Nicola Capece

1 c

, Ugo Erra

1 d

and Vincenzo Baldi

2 e

University of Basilicata, Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics, Potenza 85100, Italy

SAUTECH S.R.L., Cava de’ Tirreni SA 84013, Italy

Keywords:

Applied Computing Arts and Humanities, Computing Methodologies Virtual Reality, Computing

Methodologies Modeling and Simulation, Human-Centered Computing Virtual Reality.

Abstract:

Virtual Reality (VR) applications have gained signiﬁcant popularity in various ﬁelds, including design and

manufacturing. This paper introduces a novel VR application that simulates a 3D clay printer. The appli-

cation utilizes the Oculus Quest 2 Head Mounted Display (HMD), enabling users to create virtual pots by

manoeuvring a virtual extruder that extrudes and deposits strands of clay in layers. Two features deﬁne this

application: incorporating a virtual coiling technique, offering guided assistance throughout the pottery pro-

totyping process, and integrating physical simulation that provides users with real-time feedback on the ﬁnal

results achievable using a real 3D clay printer. Users can now design and iterate virtually without physically

printing, reducing material waste and improving the overall creative process. Moreover, this application saves

the information necessary to create the designed pottery piece with a 3D clay printer. We present a preliminary

version that enables artisans in VR to craft unique, handmade virtual pottery pieces, fostering creativity and

enabling the exploration of many design possibilities.

1 INTRODUCTION

Additive manufacturing, colloquially known as 3D

printing, has revolutionized product design, prototyp-

ing, and manufacturing processes across diverse in-

dustries (Camacho et al., 2018; Rayna and Striukova,

2016). With its capacity for innovative approaches to

intricate geometries, customized products, and eco-

friendly manufacturing (Camacho et al., 2018), 3D

printing technology has become a driving force in

modern production. Among the array of materi-

als employed in 3D printing, clay has emerged as

a captivating medium, combining artistic expression

with functional design due to its inherent malleabil-

ity and ecological appeal (Ming et al., 2022; Perrot

et al., 2018). However, while 3D printing has opened

up new horizons in creativity, the tools traditionally

used for modeling 3D objects, such as Computer-

Aided Design (CAD) or 3D modeling software, of-

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0633-862X

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8458-0414

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1544-3977

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2942-7131

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3558-6369

ten present a steep learning curve (Balan et al., 2019),

making them less accessible to less experienced users,

such as artisans accustomed to shaping pots by hand.

The intricate interfaces and complex commands may

inhibit the transition from traditional craftsmanship to

digital design. Integrating Virtual Reality (VR) tech-

nology into the design process can effectively address

the need for a more user-friendly approach. VR pro-

vides an immersive and intuitive interface that elim-

inates the complexities often associated with tradi-

tional CAD or 3D modeling software. VR empowers

users to interact with virtual creations using natural

gestures and movements made possible through intu-

itive controllers. Implementing this ancient clay pro-

cessing method could be useful for providing artisans

with a more accessible and compelling tool for craft-

ing intricate 3D models and making this processing

methodology known to a wider audience.

This paper introduces ARTISTA, a VR application

that simulates a 3D clay printer. Utilizing the Oculus

Quest 2 HMD and its controllers, ARTISTA enables

artisans to seamlessly transition from shaping clay by

hand to crafting virtual pots in an immersive envi-

ronment. By providing a natural and intuitive inter-

face, ARTISTA empowers artisans to explore new de-

492

Manfredi, G., Gilio, G., Capece, N., Erra, U. and Baldi, V.

ARTISTA: Redeﬁning Pottery Design with Virtual Reality and Physically Simulated Clay.

DOI: 10.5220/0012415300003660

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 19th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications (VISIGRAPP 2024) - Volume 1: GRAPP, HUCAPP

and IVAPP, pages 492-499

ISBN: 978-989-758-679-8; ISSN: 2184-4321

sign possibilities and express their creativity without

the steep learning curve associated with traditional

3D modeling software. Moreover, the key feature of

ARTISTA is incorporating physically simulated clay

strands, delivering real-time feedback on the virtual

clay’s behavior as it would manifest in the tangible

world. This unique attribute allows artisans to de-

sign and iterate virtually, predicting the ﬁnal results

that could be achieved using a real 3D clay printer.

Through this iterative process, artisans can reﬁne their

designs, optimize production, and minimize material

waste, offering a cost-effective and sustainable ap-

proach to the creative process. Furthermore, the ﬁ-

nal virtual pottery design created in ARTISTA can be

seamlessly translated into a printable format, allow-

ing artisans to bring their virtual creations into the

physical world through a real 3D clay printer. This

integration of the virtual and physical realms offers a

holistic and efﬁcient solution for artisans to easily ex-

plore, reﬁne, and ultimately craft their unique pottery

pieces.

2 RELATED WORK

The application of VR technology in manufacturing

processes has seen signiﬁcant advancements, with re-

searchers exploring its potential in virtual design and

prototyping. Additionally, integrating physical simu-

lation within VR environments has opened new routes

for enhancing realism and user interaction. Further-

more, VR has emerged as a powerful tool for additive

manufacturing, empowering users with novel ways to

optimize design workﬂows. Moreover, VR has been

recognized as a user-friendly solution for non-experts

in CAD, particularly for artisans seeking to transition

from traditional craftsmanship to digital design. This

section provides an overview of the related work in

these diverse areas.

2.1 VR for Virtual Design and

Prototyping in Manufacturing

The modern demand to speed up product develop-

ment while reducing associated costs has driven man-

ufacturing companies to explore innovative technolo-

gies. Among these technologies, VR has emerged as

a transformative tool in the realm of manufacturing

applications as it plays a signiﬁcant role in design-

ing new products, speciﬁcally in two key applications:

design and prototyping. For design purposes, the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) devel-

oped a virtual workshop for mechanical design. The

project aimed to create a simulated workshop that en-

ables designers to engage in conceptual design work

while considering manufacturing processes. This vir-

tual workshop includes tools such as a band saw,

drill press, milling machine, radial arm saw, and ta-

ble saw (Mujber et al., 2004). In the context of pro-

totyping, the University of Illinois, Chicago, and Pur-

due University collaborated to design and implement

a VR-based CAD system. This work aimed to offer

a simpliﬁed method for designing complex mechan-

ical parts by utilising VR techniques (Mujber et al.,

2004). These studies underscore the vast potential of

VR as an intuitive and immersive platform for explor-

ing and reﬁning designs, offering a more or less re-

alistic metaphor of the real task. By immersing users

within a VE that mirrors the real environment, VR ac-

celerates product development and contributes to cost

reduction through more informed decision-making.

2.2 Physical Simulation in VR

In recent years, scientists have been leading in in-

troducing physical simulation within VR environ-

ments, revolutionizing how users interact and engage

with virtual worlds. The paper (Song et al., 2008)

focused on merging physics-based simulation with

mixed-reality gaming experiences. This study em-

phasizes the fusion of precise ﬁnger tracking and

physics-based models to create lifelike hand inter-

actions within mixed reality contexts. By integrat-

ing physics simulation, users can interact more intu-

itively with virtual objects, fostering an environment

of engagement and immersion. Another example of

VR with physical simulation is the NeuroTouch re-

search project of the National Research Council of

Canada, which extends the realm of physical simu-

lation into medical education, speciﬁcally in neuro-

surgery. This project introduces physics-based sim-

ulations of tissue and blood properties and behav-

iors, offering trainees a platform to practice intricate

surgical procedures (Bernardo, 2017). The emphasis

here is on enhancing surgical proﬁciency through ac-

curate simulation. Further expanding the spectrum,

oll et al., 2018) introduces an innovative approach

to enhance hand-object interactions within VR. Using

the Coulomb friction model, the authors efﬁciently

implement convincing interactions, from pushing to

dexterous manipulations.

2.3 VR for Additive Manufacturing

VR has been harnessed as a transformative tool within

Additive Manufacturing (AM), fostering innovative

approaches to optimize design workﬂows, evaluate

parts, and enhance education. In (Dashti et al., 2022),

ARTISTA: Redeﬁning Pottery Design with Virtual Reality and Physically Simulated Clay

493

authors recently introduce a novel approach to Virtual

Pottery modeling, integrating traditional techniques

into a virtual experience. The process involves basic

pottery creation on a VR wheel with haptic feedback,

followed by free-form modeling using clay tools and

mesh expansion. A unique sound texture is applied

to identify and address errors in the model, prepar-

ing it for 3D printing in VP applications. In (Ren-

ner et al., 2015), the authors present a software ap-

plication that immerses users in a VR environment to

simulate the AM process. The application replicates

machine movements and print attributes by parsing

G-code ﬁles from CAM software. Visual relation-

ships between print settings and physical movements

are established through color-coded segments, aiding

learning and error identiﬁcation. Novice and expert

users can modify settings in the VR environment be-

fore and after printing, reducing iteration time and

costs for desired part quality. To prove the efﬁcacy of

VR in evaluating AM parts, (Ostrander et al., 2019)

compared Immersive VR and Non-Immersive CAD.

Designers assess parts of varying complexity, reveal-

ing that VR enhances evaluation speed but may ex-

hibit limitations in identifying ﬁne details compared

to CAD. Despite these differences, VR stands out for

its efﬁciency and usability in design evaluation. An-

other analysis (Ostrander et al., 2020) explores the

pedagogical potential of interactive and passive VR

for teaching AM concepts. The ﬁndings suggest that

both modes of VR are effective in teaching intro-

ductory AM concepts, with interactive VR demon-

strating a speciﬁc advantage in enhancing AM self-

efﬁcacy. Collectively, these contributions underscore

VR’s profound impact on AM. From process train-

ing to design evaluation and education, VR enriches

the AM landscape by providing immersive and in-

teractive platforms that accelerate learning, enhance

decision-making, and transform how professionals

engage with AM processes and concepts.

3 BACKGROUND

In this section, we will describe the technologies cho-

sen for this project, with an introduction of the se-

lected game engine, the VR device, and the toolkit

employed to simulate the clay.

The application was developed with Unity 3D, a

cross-platform game engine released by Unity Tech-

nologies that is widely used for developing 2D and

3D games, simulations, and interactive experiences.

Unity is known for its intuitive and user-friendly in-

terface and vast tools. It allows the use of C# script-

ing, enabling developers to create logic and behav-

iors in the game. Moreover, Unity provides a built-in

physics engine that simulates realistic interactions be-

tween objects in the game world. To interact with the

application in VR, we have chosen the Oculus Quest

2 which offers the Quest Link and Air Link func-

tionalities, allowing users to utilize the device when

connected to a PC via a USB cable or a stable WiFi

Internet connection, thus leveraging the PC’s GPU

computing power. Furthermore, the Oculus Quest

2 features built-in tracking sensors with six Degrees

of Freedom (6DoF) technology, translating the user’s

VR head and body movements without requiring ex-

ternal sensors (Capece et al., 2018). The Oculus Inte-

gration tool, available in the Unity Asset Store, is es-

sential for developing content in Unity and provides

signiﬁcant support for using the advanced function-

alities of this device. The clay consistency was sim-

ulated with Clayxels (Florian and Andrea, ), a game

toolkit available for download from the Unity Asset

Store. Clayxels proved highly useful, as it facilitates

the sculpting and animation of custom assets with vol-

umetric primitives (e.g., cubes, spheres, cylinders),

both in the editor and during gameplay. Further-

more, Clayxels allows the user to “freeze” the cre-

ated assets as standard Unity meshes and export them

in FBX format for external use. Unfortunately, the

Clayxels toolkit is not supported for mobile VR. It

needs a powerful GPU to avoid rendering issues (e.g.,

glitches) and manage the interactions between clays.

We utilized the Quest Link functionality as a solution

to address this challenge. Figure 1 depicts the scene

view window of the Unity Editor with the 3D environ-

ment developed for ARTISTA, representing a pottery

workshop. The development was done on a PC that

mounts a 13th gen Intel i9 CPU, 32 GB DDR5 RAM

and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

Figure 1: A view of the scene created for ARTISTA. A

table is visible at the bottom of the image, serving as the

workspace for artisans to craft their pottery. In the center of

the scene, virtual controllers and the user interface are posi-

tioned above the table.

HUCAPP 2024 - 8th International Conference on Human Computer Interaction Theory and Applications

494

4 METHODOLOGY

The proposed application ARTISTA is based on em-

ploying the features of VR technology to create an

immersive environment where artisans can manufac-

ture with a simple and natural interface(Erra et al.,

2018), regardless of their experience in real-life man-

ufacturing or 3D modeling. Indeed, ARTISTA allows

artisans to create and simulate the 3D printing of the

artifact: the process is completely driven by the arti-

san’s hand, and the simulated clay physics provides

visual feedback of the potential outcomes that could

be replicated using a real 3D clay printer. In this sec-

tion, we provide an overview of the key features of

ARTISTA, including the selected technique for simu-

lating the modeling process, the developments in clay

physics, and the interface integration with the 3D clay

printer.

4.1 The Coiling Technique as a Guide

for Placing Clay

The initial challenge encountered was how to pro-

vide artisans, who approached virtual modeling for

the ﬁrst time, with a tool for designing the shape of

the pot. Hence, to address this issue, we turned to

an ancient technique that has been employed by var-

ious cultures throughout history to create pottery and

ceramic objects: the coiling technique (Peterson and

Peterson, 2003; Castro e Costa et al., 2017). Utiliz-

ing this method, artisans form these objects employ-

ing long ropes of clay as their fundamental building

blocks. They meticulously mold ceramics by hand,

layer upon layer, using these coiled clay ropes as the

primary medium. In detail, to create a pot or ceramic

object using the coiling technique, the artisan begins

by rolling out long coils or ropes of clay by hand or by

an extrusion machine (Peterson and Peterson, 2003).

These coils are then stacked and joined together, one

on top of the other, to build up the pot’s walls, form-

ing a cylindrical shape (Peterson and Peterson, 2003;

Castro e Costa et al., 2017). Then, the coils are

smoothed and blended to create a seamless surface,

usually employing hands or proper utensils (Peterson

and Peterson, 2003; Castro e Costa et al., 2017). After

the object is constructed and dried to the desired state,

it is typically ﬁred in a kiln to harden the clay and

transform it into a durable ceramic material. There-

fore, this technique can be easily learned by novice

artisans or those who may not have access to a pot-

ter’s wheel. The images in Figure 2 are two visual

examples that demonstrate this technique.

This technique was adapted for the application

into a VR environment to serve as a guiding tool, as-

(a)

(b)

Figure 2: Two examples of handcrafted pots created using

the coiling.

sisting users in the pot’s design. In particular, from

a collection of geometric primitives (including torus,

triangle, rectangle, pentagon, and hexagon), users can

choose the shapes that deﬁne the layers of the pot.

They have the ﬂexibility to determine the quantity

of primitives utilized and the ability to manipulate

them. Indeed, users can rotate these primitives along

the y axis and independently resize them along the x

and z axes, enhancing the customization of their cre-

ations. Once users deﬁne the “skeleton” formed by

layers, like in Figure 3, the application allows them

to manipulate a virtual nozzle with the Oculus Quest

HMD controllers after selecting their preferred hand.

The virtual nozzle is used to extrude and deposit the

strands of clay within the virtual scene, beginning

from the ﬁrst layer and progressing to the last, pro-

viding users with real-time feedback on the evolving

form of the pot they are modeling. The strands of clay

consist of Clayxels’ ClayObject components, which

are fundamental elements of this game toolkit and can

ARTISTA: Redeﬁning Pottery Design with Virtual Reality and Physically Simulated Clay

495

Figure 3: The image depicts a set of layers that will be em-

ployed as a “skeleton” to create a virtual pot. In such a

case, concentric torus primitives were utilized to delineate

the pot.

be blended. Users can deposit the clay following the

shape of the primitive and can choose to switch to

the next one if the expected result is achieved. Oth-

erwise, if the achieved outcome does not meet their

expectations, users can undo the depositions, switch

to the previous primitives, and repeat the process. In-

deed, throughout the deposition process, only the cur-

rent layer is visible to the users until they decide to

switch to the previous or the subsequent, which then

will appear within the scene. The images presented

in Figure 4 are two distinct instances of the deposi-

tion process utilizing two different primitives, torus

and triangle, respectively.

After the strands of clay are deposited near the

current primitive, the application can adjust their po-

sitioning, aligning them more closely with the shape

of the primitive. Initially, the developed algorithm

iterates through the ClayObjects in the current layer

and adjusts their position’s vertical (y) coordinate to

match the current primitive. This means that the prim-

itive and the ClayObjects are at the same height, and

only the other coordinates require alignment. Subse-

quently, a collision evaluation is conducted using ray

casting to determine interactions with the primitive.

Generally, a ray is deﬁned by an origin point O in

space and a directional vector d. In this speciﬁc case,

O represents the center of the primitive, and d is the

distance between the origin and the position of the

ClayObject. When the rays hit the primitive, the

ClayObjects are aligned to be exactly in contact with

the surface of the primitive. This alignment involves

overwriting the x and z coordinates of their positions

with the relative coordinates of the hit point. In ad-

dition, it checks if the ClayObject’s collider overlaps

with other colliders. If an overlap occurs, it reduces

the collider’s size iteratively until there is no over-

lap. The usage of this capability depends on the users’

choice to prioritize precision. After the current layer

(a)

(b)

Figure 4: Two instances of using the primitives as layers to

form the pot. In Figure 4a, the clay is deposited following

the perimeter of the torus primitive. In Figure 4b, the user

creates a triangular-based pot employing triangle primitives.

is completed, they can opt to employ this feature, trig-

gered by pressing a button on the controller.

4.2 Clay Physics Simulation

The clay physics simulation was initially directed to-

wards realising a custom physics engine. This deci-

sion resulted from the initial challenge when integrat-

ing Unity’s default physics engine with the ClayOb-

ject components. Indeed, despite the inclusion of the

fundamental components of the Unity physics engine,

ClayObjects showed no response to run-time simu-

lated forces, including gravity. The Clayxel docu-

mentation advises integrating these components in the

ClayContainer object, which will affect the physical

behavior of the ClayObjects as a single block. This

approach was not adopted due to the expense of em-

ploying a separate ClayContainer for each ClayObject

comprising the pot. This would result in a substan-

tial increase in memory usage and a corresponding

diminution in application performance. The custom

HUCAPP 2024 - 8th International Conference on Human Computer Interaction Theory and Applications

496

physics engine was developed with C# scripts, imple-

menting the component PotClay. This component en-

velops the individual ClayObject and manages its fall

and collisions with other ClayObjects and assets in

the scene. The PotClay imparts an initial velocity to

the ClayObject, enabling its fall frame by frame until

a collision occurs. In such instances, the initial ve-

locity is reset to zero, which ceases the ClayObject’s

movement. By employing this approach, it was ob-

served that the fall of the clay quite closely mirrored

real-world behavior when deposited directly onto the

table or previously laid clay layers. However, when

users aimed to replicate speciﬁc pouring effects, such

as depositing clay strands beyond the pot’s edge and

letting them cascade along the sides of the pot, it be-

came evident that the behavior of the custom physics

engine did not align with real-world physics. Indeed,

to achieve a faithful simulation of clay physics, it

was essential to establish interconnections between

the ClayObject components, forming a linked chain

of these elements. It became necessary to enhance

the physical behavior of the ClayObject and impose

constraints on the current ClayObject’s position with

the preceding one, particularly when the distance be-

tween them was minimal.

To accomplish this objective, we transformed the

ClayObjects into rigid bodies and incorporated col-

lider and joint components at run-time during their

creation in the game. In physical terms, a rigid

body (Featherstone, 2014) is an object that reacts

to external forces without undergoing deformations.

Utilizing this concept, we applied physical behav-

iors to ClayObjects, including gravity, movement, and

collision, by assigning appropriate velocity, damping,

and mass values to simulate clay material closely. A

collider is responsible for determining collision inter-

actions between objects by deﬁning an invisible area

around a speciﬁc object where collisions can occur.

It is possible to deﬁne the behavior of colliders by

setting properties such as static and dynamic friction

and bounciness. In our case, a cuboid-shape collider

was utilized to manage collisions between the Clay-

Objects. It was customized to regulate the balance

between static and dynamic friction among the clay

elements, mitigating undesired bounciness. The joint

component (Featherstone, 2014) constrains the move-

ment of a set of ClayObjects and was utilized to repli-

cate the desired behavior for the strands of clay, as

described above.

Consequently, adopting these components ne-

cessitated abandoning the physics engine explained

above. Incorporating these components into the Clay-

Objects themselves during run-time revealed that the

default physics engine, indeed interacts seamlessly

with these components. In this context, two dis-

tinct types of joints were utilized. A ﬁxed joint type

was initially employed to establish connections be-

tween the ClayObjects. This component creates a

ﬁxed linkage with zero degrees of freedom between

the interconnected objects. Indeed, they are prevented

from experiencing relative rotations, although they

can shift in sync when one is subjected to move.

Throughout the development process, it became ev-

ident that utilizing this type of joint was inadequate

for accurately reproducing the physics of the strands

of clay. When these strands were deposited over the

edges of the pot, they did not behave as anticipated;

instead of falling naturally, they remained suspended

in midair and oscillated as a pendulum. The ﬁxed

joint was substituted with a hinge joint type to en-

sure accurate replication of strand physics. In con-

trast to the ﬁrst, the hinge joint allows a connection

between two components capable of rotation along a

shared axis. The inclusion of this joint to establish

connections and create the chain of ClayObjects led

to a notable enhancement in the physics simulation.

This degree of freedom given by the relative rotation

allows the clay strands to fall realistically when de-

posited over the edges of the pot. To enhance the ap-

plication’s usability, physics simulation is disabled by

default when users deposit the clay strands. Users can

activate the physics simulation by clicking on a but-

ton in the user interface. This feature simpliﬁes the

process of shaping the pot layer by layer, and users

can evaluate the ﬁnal result at their convenience. Ad-

ditionally, users can deactivate the physics simulation

and return to the previous shape of the pot if they wish

to make alterations to it or continue the deposition of

the clay strands. In this way, users have complete

control over the creative phase of pot modeling and

visualize a preview of the potential result. Figure 5 il-

lustrates an example of this feature, showing the same

pot with and without the physics simulation enabled.

Furthermore, this decision also enabled the identi-

ﬁcation and resolution of issues related to the bounci-

ness of the ClayObject. In fact, despite its intro-

duction to the collider, the ClayObjects initially dis-

played an undesired degree of elasticity when colli-

sions enabled the physics. They rebounded in multi-

ple directions, creating the impression of an explod-

ing pot, which was not the intended behavior for clay

strands. Even with the bounciness set to zero, a slight

rebound effect remained between ClayObjects, giv-

ing back the perception of the pot expanding. This

effect was caused by the default velocity of the col-

liding rigid bodies, which tended to induce bouncing

if it was not null. To address this unexpected behav-

ior, the C# script ClayNoBounce was introduced to

ARTISTA: Redeﬁning Pottery Design with Virtual Reality and Physically Simulated Clay

497

(a)

(b)

Figure 5: Two depictions of a virtual pot are shown. Fig-

ure 5a displays the pot without physics simulation, while

Figure 5b, with active physics simulation, reveals clay de-

formations inﬂuenced by gravity and collisions, evident in

the excess clay along the border due to gravity.

manipulate and eliminate it. This script controls the

collisions between ClayObjects by setting their veloc-

ity to a zero vector, thereby preventing bouncing and

the associated pot expansion effect.

4.3 Virtual Pot 3D Printing

After users approve the pot and assess the physics-

based clay preview, they can save the model for 3D

printing. It’s crucial to note that the generated pot

model is not a basic 3D mesh with polygons. Further-

more, ARTISTA necessitates a direct interface with

the 3D clay printer in the game environment with-

out using external third-party software. Addressing

these two challenges initially involved employing a

C# script as a component of the ClayObjects upon

their creation in the game. This script is responsible

for storing crucial information related to the ClayOb-

ject, including its position coordinates, relative rota-

tion, and deposition time, which is useful for com-

puting the deposition velocity. This information is in-

dispensable to the 3D printer as it generates the G-

code, which outlines the steps required to reproduce

the virtual pot in the real world physically. In this

manner, the 3D clay printer replicates the deposition

path followed by the user at identical velocity, faith-

fully tracing the virtual pot and reproducing it in the

physical world. For instance, Figure 6 displays the

initial 3D printed version of the pot modeled in Fig-

ure 4b. Figure 6a shows the pot overview, illustrating

the extruder’s alignment with user movements. Fig-

ure 6b provides a close-up of the pot’s layered clay

strands.

5 CONCLUSIONS

In this paper, we have introduced ARTISTA, a VR ap-

plication that can enhance the creative process of pot-

tery design. ARTISTA empowers artisans and design-

ers by providing an immersive platform where they

can craft unique virtual pottery pieces. The key in-

novation of ARTISTA lies in the integration of phys-

ically simulated clay strands, which offer real-time

feedback on the virtual clay’s behavior as it would

manifest in the tangible world. This unique feature

enables artisans to design, iterate, and reﬁne their pot-

tery virtually, predicting the ﬁnal results that could be

achieved using a real 3D clay printer. By doing so,

ARTISTA can signiﬁcantly reduce material waste and

enhance the overall creative process, offering a cost-

effective and sustainable approach to pottery design.

Moreover, the seamless transition from virtual design

to real-world 3D clay printing ensures that the artistry

born in the virtual realm can be brought to life. Look-

ing ahead, the future of ARTISTA holds exciting pos-

sibilities. One promising avenue involves conduct-

ing an in-depth empirical evaluation to assess how

ARTISTA impacts artisans’ and designers’ creativity,

skill development, and efﬁciency. Gathering user in-

sights will enable us to reﬁne and enhance the applica-

tion’s features and user experience. To further expand

its utility, ARTISTA could incorporate dedicated ed-

ucational modules. These modules would teach pot-

tery techniques and the rich history and cultural sig-

niﬁcance of pottery. By doing so, ARTISTA can be-

come a VR tool for beginners and experienced arti-

sans, promoting learning and creativity. Furthermore,

implementing collaborative features within ARTISTA

would enable multiple users to share the same vir-

tual pottery studio, encouraging teamwork, creative

HUCAPP 2024 - 8th International Conference on Human Computer Interaction Theory and Applications

498

(a) (b)

Figure 6: Preliminary example of a clay pot produced using a 3D printer.

exchange, and the potential for artisans to collaborate

on collaborative projects.

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