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Master in Robotics & Advanced Construction

The Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction (MRAC) seeks to train a new generation of interdisciplinary professionals who are capable of facing our growing need for a more sustainable and optimised construction ecosystem. The Master is focused on the emerging design and market opportunities arising from novel robotic and advanced manufacturing systems.

Through a mixture of seminars, workshops, and studio projects, the master programme challenges the traditional processes in the Construction Sector. It investigates how advances in robotics and digital fabrication tools change the way we build and develop processes and design tools for such new production methods.


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Machine Learning Strategies for Toolpath Optimization in Fabrication

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

In the ongoing pursuit of efficient toolpath generation, we set out to build a modular, logic-driven system capable of planning subtractive manufacturing strategies. The framework integrated zonal segmentation, directional movement, and dynamic state awareness; its goal was adaptability and long-term scalability. While we achieved full system functionality, this initial iteration exposed the distance between a … Read more

KAPLA KADABRA

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

XX WS3.1 XX How can we compress the soul of a 3D object into a few pixels?Kapla Kadabra explores the magic of encoding geometry into 2D data structures – and bringing it back to life. XXXXXXXXXXXX AIM XXXXXXXXXXXX This project explores a lightweight method to encode and decode 3D geometries into pixel matrices. Instead of … Read more

Interlock Tower

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

Rethinking Towe Typology with AI: This project explores the redesign of contemporary tower structures using machine learning (ML), challenging the repetitive, profit-driven design seen in cities like Hong Kong. The goal is to discover new typologies through AI and stacking rules, and tren translate them to a robotic fabrication system (pick and place). AI-generated towers … Read more

Workshop 3.1_KAPLA-Nest

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

| INTRODUCTION | Learning Structures: From Parametric Rules to Machine-Made Forms. In this project, we explored the interplay between parametric design, machine learning, and robotic fabrication. Starting from Kapla block assemblies controlled by simple deformation rules, we trained a GAN to reinterpret and generate new structural variations. The process concluded with robotic pick-and-place construction, closing … Read more

Pioneering Design: AI Driven Kapla Stack Generation

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

A Closed-Loop RL-GAN-ML Pipeline for Generative Design VIDEO: Objective:  Demonstrate an intelligent system for stable Kapla stack design, showcasing its intelligent, iterative pipeline. Automated Generation of Stable Kapla Plank Stacks. 1. Introduction The Python script (`loop.py`) presents a sophisticated framework for automating the design of stable Kapla plank stacks, a wooden construction toy consisting of … Read more

Software III _ UN_LOG FACTORY

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

Github : https://github.com/Clarrainl/UN_LOG-Factory | INTRODUCTION | Detecting wood defects in 3D-scanned logs using Machine Learning In the timber industry, a significant portion of wood gets discarded due to irregularities or defects that make it unusable under standard practices. However, many of these logs can still be used creatively or structurally if properly understood and classified. This project … Read more

Software III: AI Optimized Earth Injection Deposits

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MRAC 2024-2025
injection printing

Github: https://github.com/Adronegenius/Software-III-AI-Optimized-Earth-Injection-Deposits The process begins with human fabrication of woven modules using flexible rods or sticks. Due to tension, compression, and human variability, the woven pattern often deforms. Our system integrates computer vision to scan these deformations and a robotic arm to inject earth between structural members at optimized locations. This bridges physical craft and … Read more

Terraweave: Innovative Structures for a Changing World

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MRAC-01 2024-2025
terraweave

Introduction In the face of the growing demand for sustainable construction, the integration of renewable materials with advanced fabrication techniques is essential for creating adaptable and efficient structures. Our team developed Terraweave, a project that combines willow and earth to create hybrid building components. By leveraging the natural properties of willow for flexibility and earth … Read more

Sticks & Stones: Precision in Robotic Fabrication with Traditional Materials

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

In an era dominated by concrete and steel, the Sticks & Stones project revisits the architectural potential of stone and timber—materials with a rich historical legacy—through the precision of robotic fabrication. This initiative sought to develop a reversible, precise architectural system that bridges traditional craftsmanship with advanced digital tools. By tackling the challenges of natural … Read more

TerraWeave: Startup Pitch

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MRAC-01 2024-2025
TerraWeave

The Problem The built environment is responsible for 42% of annual global CO₂ emissions. Within this, building operations and construction alone contribute nearly one-third. Yet, current construction methods lack flexibility, efficient resource use, and environmentally friendly solutions. This is the context that drove our project. Terraweave Solution  TerraWeave integrates robotics, wattle and daub construction and … Read more

Re-Skin-2

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MRAC-02 2024-2025

EU  generate 25-30% of all waste from construction and demolition (C&D) activities, much of which remains underutilized or sent to landfills. Context whilst global temperatures are rising towards +4°c, building facades are a main contributors to the urban heat island effect within cities.2050 about 70 % of the world’s population will live in cities.The building … Read more

Studio II_Anatomy of a System: RE_SHAPE

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

Introduction In a world where natural resources are increasingly scarce, the construction industry faces a crucial challenge: reducing material waste and maximizing the use of available resources. Wood, a traditionally used construction material, is at the center of this issue. Every year, millions of tons of wood are discarded or underutilized due to its irregular … Read more

Reinforcement Learning for Robot Obstacle Avoidance

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

adapted from IaaC´s Artificial Intelligence Program’s study of machine learning for robotic pick and place. (https://blog.iaac.net/reinforcement-learning-for-robotic-pick-and-place/research). Github Repository. https://github.com/LaurenD66/ROS-GridWorld-RL-with-Obstacles In a recent study by IaaC´s Artificial Intelligence Program, students used reinforcement learning models to train an (robotic) agent to move through a space defined by a simple grid from an origin to a goal, while … Read more