From Flat to Form-Fitting: A Computational Geometry Approach to 3D Conformal Electronics Design and Rapid Prototyping

The integration and fabrication of electrical circuits conformably onto 3D surfaces offer greater spatial efficiency, increased functionality, and improved performance in compact and tightly coupled electro-mechanical systems. However, existing 3D circuit prototyping workflows are often constrained by limited performance, insufficient generalizability or excessive manual effort and time requirements. In this paper, we present a framework that transforms 2D circuit design onto high-curvature 3D surfaces while preserving user-defined circuit characteristics and desired electrical parameters, such as trace length matching and resistance value target, allowing for the design of complex 3D circuitry using conventional 2D circuit design software that are intuitive for electrical engineers. The key contribution of this work is a two-stage processing algorithm that employs surface parameterization for 3D conformal circuit mapping followed by local distortion optimization for circuit parameter preservation. This method takes a 2D circuit design and a 3D CAD of the target surface as input, and then generates 3D circuit fabrication and process plans. We demonstrate the efficacy of our framework with a comparative analysis of circuit property preservation against other mapping approaches, both in simulation and in physical experiments, showing an 85% reduction in circuit deformation. We also demonstrate the potential of our framework through test case applications in aerospace and medical devices.