Computational Design of Free-Form Lampshades

2026-10-05

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenge of achieving uniform illumination in lampshades with complex freeform surfaces by proposing a two-stage optimization method based on differentiable rendering. The approach jointly optimizes the inner cavity geometry and light source layout, and for the first time integrates gradient-based optimization with material parameter calibration. This integration overcomes the limitations of conventional regular geometries, enabling controllable and uniform illumination across arbitrary shapes. To validate the proposed computational framework, five lampshade prototypes of varying complexity were successfully fabricated. Physical measurements confirm that all prototypes achieve favorable luminance uniformity, demonstrating the effectiveness of this method for customized lighting design.

Abstract

Conventional lampshades are predominantly restricted to simple geometries, owing to the difficulty of controlling optical functions across complex shapes. We present a computational design method that enables 3D-printable lampshades with complex free-form shapes to achieve controlled illumination, such as uniform luminance. Given an arbitrary shape, our method determines the internal cavity geometry and the number and placement of lights in two stages: an initialization stage fixes the number of lights and establishes their initial positions and the initial cavity geometry, after which gradient-based optimization jointly refines the cavity geometry and light positions via differentiable rendering subject to geometric constraints. We calibrate the material parameters of the translucent shade material prior to optimization to improve the agreement between simulation and the fabricated result. We validate our approach by 3D-printing five lampshade designs of varying geometric complexity and demonstrate that the fabricated lampshades achieve reasonably uniform luminance.

Problem

• free-form lampshades
• computational design
• controlled illumination
• 3D printing
• uniform luminance

Innovation

• Computational Design
• Free-Form Lampshades
• Differentiable Rendering
• Gradient-based Optimization
• 3D Printing