diff --git a/docs/modules/common.rst b/docs/modules/common.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ca68690
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/modules/common.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+pytorch3d.common
+===========================
+
+.. automodule:: pytorch3d.common
+    :members:
+    :undoc-members:
diff --git a/docs/modules/index.rst b/docs/modules/index.rst
index 88ddcb6d..4c95ef18 100644
--- a/docs/modules/index.rst
+++ b/docs/modules/index.rst
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ API Documentation
 
 .. toctree::
 
+    common
     structures
     io
     loss
diff --git a/pytorch3d/common/__init__.py b/pytorch3d/common/__init__.py
index 10a55772..f34c1017 100644
--- a/pytorch3d/common/__init__.py
+++ b/pytorch3d/common/__init__.py
@@ -3,3 +3,7 @@
 #
 # This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
 # LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+
+from .types import Device, make_device, get_device
+
+__all__ = [k for k in globals().keys() if not k.startswith("_")]
diff --git a/pytorch3d/common/types.py b/pytorch3d/common/types.py
index 622c24e5..ab15a184 100644
--- a/pytorch3d/common/types.py
+++ b/pytorch3d/common/types.py
@@ -13,10 +13,33 @@ Device = Union[str, torch.device]
 
 
 def make_device(device: Device) -> torch.device:
+    """
+    Makes an actual torch.device object from the device specified as
+    either a string or torch.device object.
+
+    Args:
+        device: Device (as str or torch.device)
+
+    Returns:
+        A matching torch.device object
+    """
     return torch.device(device) if isinstance(device, str) else device
 
 
 def get_device(x, device: Optional[Device] = None) -> torch.device:
+    """
+    Gets the device of the specified variable x if it is a tensor, or
+    falls back to a default CPU device otherwise. Allows overriding by
+    providing an explicit device.
+
+    Args:
+        x: a torch.Tensor to get the device from or another type
+        device: Device (as str or torch.device) to fall back to
+
+    Returns:
+        A matching torch.device object
+    """
+
     # User overrides device
     if device is not None:
         return make_device(device)