3D Printer Demo

For this demo, we will be diagnosing an issue with a 3D printer. The 3D printing process builds a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design model, by successively adding material layer by layer. The layers come from a "print head" that melts a filament and deposits that material to build up a shape. The machine is complex and has many electronic and mechanical parts which can misbehave.

Assume you're using a 3D printer and it stops running. We are going to show how InSkill Mobile can help you get it up and running again.

Join the Demo Account

In the InSkill app menu, select the button that says "Join Demo Account"

This will register your app for the 3D printer product. If you go to the app home page you will see the 3D printer listed as one of your products.

3D Printer QR codes

This demonstrates how QR codes can be used to diagnose a problem.

You can use InSkill to diagnose a problem by entering observations, but a much better solution is to enable the machine to gather diagnostic information automatically.

Open the InSkill app and begin by scanning the following QR code with the app's QR code reader. This QR code represents a diagnostic issue and it contains machine date that the AI will use.

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How do you get QR codes?

In this demo, the QR code is generated by the machine's controller and displayed on the printer's UI. A user might select "Troubleshoot" from a menu and the QR code is displayed with instructions to scan with a mobile device.
InSkill offers the tools needed to add this feature to your own product too.

When you scan this QR code in the app, you will be presented with data about the printer. This data describes the printer's current operating state, including an error code. When you choose Continue this data will be sent to the AI to begin suggesting steps.

The Nozzle is Jammed

There's an error code MF_3214 that correlates to a jam in the nozzle or printhead. The error code may come from the user selecting it or by scanning a QR code.
The error code does not correlate with exactly what the user needs to do to solve this problem. That is where the InSkill AI comes in. Using the AI, you are able to walk through a series of steps to locate and resolve the jam.

The first step you get back from the AI is an information notice describing the type of issue. Hit continue to move forward with the diagnosis.

As you continue with your diagnosis, you will be asked for Observations that will help the AI determine how to solve the problem.
Different solutions will be presented to you depending on the Observations.
The possible solutions can be to clean the nozzle, replace the PTFE tube, melt the obstruction or replace the printer head.

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How does AI figure out what to send?

You will notice that low cost or simple solutions are recommended first. For example, the AI recommends trying to heat the jam out before it recommends replacing the entire print head.

As you answer questions or Observations you will be supplying new data items to the AI. These data points are used to figure out what step should be returned next in the diagnosis.