Introduction:
This seminar invites students to explore weaving of natural materials with the help of a 6-axes robotic arm in order to create a physical woven module.
Context:
Weaving techniques have been around for thousands of years with various hand made small applications but now with digital fabrication tools we are able to implement those techniques in the construction industry by weaving natural materials with the help of robotic arms in order to weave large structures. . Building in this context, the seminar invites students to explore weaving techniques and to make a 1:1 scale prototypes by weaving willow. Hence, students will work to explore new possibilities in the combination of digital fabrication tools in order to create architectural proposals for modular structure made out of weaving natural materials.
Therefore in this workshop we’ll look a reinterpretation of traditional textile weaving processes through digital design and robotic fabrication technologies. The material that we will use for the fabrication will be willow and jute.
Aim:
Students will explore different weaving principles & techniques by developing a methodology to deal with the behaviour of natural materials combined with digital fabrication methods. So by observing the characteristics of natural materials and by simulating their fabrication, students will learn about the their limitations and construction capabilities. Furthermore the students will translate those manual weaving principles & material irregularities into an automated digital fabrication process, with the assistance of a 6-axes robotic arm. The goal is to create a architectural proposal for a structure made out of weaved willow.
Brainstorming:
Initially the students were given some module geometries in order to start creating weaving patterns based on a given matrix of poles. Based on one specific matrix the students could then start experimenting on different combinations of weaving.
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Robotic Simulation:
