Imagine designing a 3D-printed object that not only looks like wood, stone, or fabric—but also feels like it.
Thanks to a new tool developed at MIT, this is now possible.
The system, called TactStyle, adds realistic textures to 3D models, giving them both the visual look and the tactile feel of real-world materials—all from just a single image.
Developed by researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), TactStyle aims to bridge a major gap in 3D design: touch.
While 3D modeling software has come a long way in creating lifelike visuals, it still largely ignores how an object should feel in your hands.
That’s where TactStyle steps in. The tool allows users to upload a photo of a texture, like bark, leather, or tiles, and then apply both its visual and touchable qualities to a 3D object.
Ph.D. student Faraz Faruqi, the lead author of the study, sees endless possibilities for this tool—from creating custom phone cases and headphone stands to developing tactile learning aids in classrooms.
For example, students could feel the roughness of volcanic rock or the patterns of animal skin without ever leaving the classroom.
What makes TactStyle different is its ability to separate and process both the visual and tactile aspects of a texture.
It uses advanced AI models to analyze an image and translate it into two outputs: one for how the object should look (color and pattern), and another for how it should feel (surface structure).
This second part is what’s known as a “heightfield,” a map that adjusts the object’s shape to mimic bumps, grooves, or roughness. The AI doesn’t even need to physically scan the object—it can generate this information just from a flat image.
This innovation builds on MIT’s earlier work, including a tool called Style2Fab, which helps users modify visual styles. TactStyle goes further by using a diffusion model to generate accurate surface textures.
The results have already shown promise: in tests, users were able to recognize and feel the intended textures, even without seeing them.
For hobbyists and designers who use platforms like Thingiverse, TactStyle makes customizing downloadable 3D models far easier. Without needing expert skills or risking errors that could ruin a design, users can now personalize objects to suit their visual and tactile preferences.
Looking ahead, the MIT team hopes to expand the tool to generate entirely new 3D models with built-in textures and even explore surreal possibilities, like objects that look like metal but feel like foam.
With TactStyle, the future of 3D printing isn’t just about how things look—it’s about how they feel.
Source: MIT.
