Next time you get the urge to redecorate, hire an algorithm. A new program developed by computer scientists can take a jumble of furniture and arrange it into a variety of realistic configurations using just a few simple rules, like “the TV must be visible from the couch,” “the lamp should be near the desk,” and (important, but oft-overlooked) “doors must be able to open.” You can then choose your favorite arrangement without having to heave the couch across the room more than once.
Visibility constraints throw out any arrangements where important views are blocked.
The program, called Make It Home
, uses basic spatial rules gleaned from examples of pleasingly furnished rooms to come up with its interior designs. It first extracts the rules governing example rooms, including furniture spacing, the existence of pathways between doors, and the relationships between objects like the DVD player and the TV, which ...
