To enhance student learning in engineering courses such as Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Design Methods, hands-on activities using 3D CAD, 2D CAD, and 3D printing are widely utilized. To deepen conceptual understanding, this study explores a teaching method in which 3D printer models are generated directly from point cloud and polyline data, eliminating the need for conventional CAD software. Gear-shaped mockups were created using MATLAB to simulate the gear-cutting process. The results demonstrate how this approach can serve as an effective educational tool, helping students grasp mechanical design principles through data-driven model generation.
Norio Yoshikawa (Wed,) studied this question.