Standardised fabrication processes assume standard materials. But many materials are heterogeneous in nature (e.g. timber) and require careful handling in the fabrication process. Current practice imposes uni-directional progression from design to fabrication, impeding feedback between the design of the over-all solution and its specific materialisation.
As Ph.D Candidate at The Bartlett School of Architecture in London as part of the InnoChain Research Network, Giulio Brugnaro is investigating real-time and real-matter feedback in robotic manufacturing for design. By integrating sensing with robotic fabrication his project will develop methods for analysing qualitative material feedback and simulating it as part of the design environment. The project will develop new design and fabrication processes that support persistent feedback between design intent and mechanical or compositional changes in the material.
The workshop will introduce participants to the notion of “Robotic Softness”, intended as a flexible, adaptable and evolving framework for design and robotic fabrication focused on the generation of performative surface patterns in balsa wood robotically carved by an industrial robot.
Design and fabrication will be directly informed through different sensing strategies, making use of motion capture cameras and 3d scanning utilizing Kinect. These prototypes will not be entirely predescribed in a digital model but will rather emerge from the constant negotiation between fabrication parameters, material properties, site conditions and design intentions.
Machine / Hardware / Materials :
KUKA KR10
Balsa Wood blocks
Chisel and Gouges
Motion-Capture Kit
Dates
25-28 January 2018
Schedule
10am – 1:30pm | 2:30pm – 7pm
Venue
EX32 : Via del Mezzetta 2P, Florence
Language
English
Software
Rhinoceros, Grasshopper 3D, Python.
Participants need to bring their own laptops with Rhino and Grasshopper installed; other software and plugins will be distributed at the workshop.
Prerequisites
Participants would benefit from a basic knowledge of Rhino3D / Grasshopper and Python scripting.
Participation
The workshop is limited to the first 15 applicants.
Each student will receive a certificate of participation.
Prices
Students 340€
Professionals 410€
Day 01
Introduction lecture (Workshop context, aim, technology, state-of-the-art).
Introduction to industrial robot control (theory + hands-on).
Introduction to sensor feedback and workshop fabrication workflow.
Initial design experiments in robotic pattern generations.
Day 02
Division in fabrication teams (3-4 person each)
Design experiments in robotic pattern generations.
Recording data with motion capture cameras for fabrication strategies.
Robotic toolpaths generation studies and material testing
Day 03
Initial tests of robotically fabricated panels
Robotic fabrication of the final carved panels
Day 04
Robotic fabrication of the final carved panels
Presentations and closing discussion
Giulio Brugnaro is currently Marie Curie Fellow/Ph.D. Candidate at The Bartlett School of Architecture in London, UCL, part of the InnoChain Research Network. His research focuses on exploring adaptive robotic fabrication processes and sensing methods that allow designers to engage with the qualitative properties of heterogeneous materials and non-standard fabrication tools. Previously, he received a B.Arch in “Architectural Sciences” at IUAV University of Venice and a M.Sc. in “Integrative Technologies and Architectural Design Research” at the University of Stuttgart.