Courses, News
Introduction to Robotic Additive Manufacturing
“The manifest form—that which appears—is the result of a computational interaction between internal rules and external (morphogenetic) pressures that, themselves, originate in other adjacent forms (ecology).”
— Who is afraid of formalism?, Sanford Kwinter.
Description
Emerging advanced technologies utilize the developments of rapid additive manufacturing (RAM) to scale up the design from small scales to building scales. Robotic additive manufacturing techniques allow designers to construct buildings or materialize building elements in a short time. Robotic additive manufacturing, which usually necessitates a layer-by-layer approach or lattice structure, requires understanding the relationship between form, material characteristics, and robotic fabrication techniques.
The elective course “Introduction to Robotic Additive Manufacturing” introduced students to robotic additive manufacturing for architectural design. Students established their fabrication system to explore the practical potential of this technique in an ecological construction. They applied robotic 3D-printing with pellet-based extruders (Biodegradable materials) or paste-based extruders (quasi-solid materials).
Students were introduced to a variety of robotic additive manufacturing techniques, including Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). They learned the principles of a design-to-fabrication process that incorporates design strategies, fabrication constraints, and material properties. This process involves 1) 3D-modelling a deep screen, wall, or façade system; 2) preparing materials and design for fabrication; and 3) robotic 3D-printing a design deep surface. Students then applied these principles on designing and prototyping a scale model of an ecological building skin/deep surface.
Two workshops supported this course. The first was on computational design, a parameter-based design process that includes sketching, designing, simulating, and manufacturing a conceptual design. The second focused on robotic 3D-printing, which is a numerical-based fabrication process that includes advanced robotic controls and programming.
Image Credit
L. Fentress and T. Victorio, University of Virginia, 2021.
Courses, News
Introduction to Cognitive Design and Fabrication
“The manifest form—that which appears—is the result of a computational interaction between internal rules and external (morphogenetic) pressures that, themselves, originate in other adjacent forms (ecology). The (pre-concrete) internal rules comprise, in their activity, an embedded form, what is today clearly understood and described by the term algorithm.”
— Who is afraid of formalism?, Sanford Kwinter.
Description
Advances in design computation methods and fabrication techniques provide new possibilities for designers to consider different paradigms for design and making. These paradigms emphasize the relationship between formation and materialization. Form manifestation can be investigated through behavioral, emotional, and cognitive approaches. Cognitive and emotional design approaches center humanity in production processes to address their needs. The implication of human-centered design methods will change the production of goods from mass-production and mass-customization to more personalized manufacturing. This new form of industrial thinking challenges disciplines such as architectural design to profoundly investigate innovative design approaches and fabrication techniques.
The elective course “Introduction to Cognitive Design and Fabrication” introduced students to cognitive design principles, computational design processes, and additive manufacturing techniques. After learning the principles of cognitive design, students developed their own design that applied these principles to the design of “Everyday Things”. This included, for example, items essential to responding to COVID-19, such as face masks, safety glasses, and face shields. In addition, students were introduced to additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D-printing and robotic additive manufacturing to materialize their design.
This course included two workshops. The first, on computational design, discussed integrative computational tools, such as Autodesk Fusion 360, to sketch, design, simulate, and manufacture a design concept. The second workshop focused on robotic 3D-printing and introduced advanced robotic controls to explore experimental robotic fabrication in design.
Selected Project
SMASK: A Smart Mask for Amid/Post-COVID | Developed by: Meng Huang and Xun Liu
Image Credit
L. Aldinger, C. Arias, S. Katz, ICD, University of Stuttgart, 2015/16.
