Short/Cuts | Devpost

Inspiration

We found inspiration in the simplicity of the game Tetris and the enormous practical applications solving a Tetris-like problem could have. The idea of finding the optimal method with which to pack things have been around for a long time though it is the personal need and perceived societal need for software that can find optimal ways to pack objects into a given space while providing ease-of-use that ultimately cemented our decision to tackle this challenge.

Our team participates in a local school-run robotics program and budgets are often quite tight. Therefore it is incredibly difficult for us to see unusable pieces of sheet metal from inefficient cuts fo to waste. By having software that can help us reduce this waste, we are able to conserve the budget of our robotics program and allow the program to thrive.

What it does

Short-Cut takes patterns that the user wishes to cut out and the number of copies of the pattern to make as inputs through a simple GUI. The software then performs a search to determine the optimal method to cut out the indicated patterns using the least amount of raw material to start with.

How we built it

The software is written in Java and the GUI utilizes Java Swing. The method used to find the optimal cutting method is a Monte-Carlo search algorithm to minimize an error function that combines the amount of material needed (less material required is preferred) as well as the ease of performing the required cuts (i.e. cutting out patterns from the edges of the material is preferred over cutting out patterns from the middle of the material).

Challenges we ran into

We found that implementing code written by different members of the team with each other to be a challenging part of the project. Understanding how many variables interact with each other is a bit chaotic and slows down the work cycle.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of having successfully completed the challenge that we set out to solve at the beginning of the Hackathon. We worked well as a team and compensated for each other's weaknesses. We are ecstatic to be able to present a final product that we are confident will benefit its users.

What we learned

We learned how to work on a tight timeline—carefully setting deadlines and delegating tasks. Dividing the project into more manageable sections between the team members was crucial.

What's next for Short/Cuts

Short/Cuts aims to add new customization options for its users. Specifically, new features are coming for users to select the size of the raw material they are cutting from and a quick reset button for a user to make multiple computations.