The Master Programme in Robotics and Advanced Construction is an innovative educational format that offers interdisciplinary skills and understanding through a series of class seminars that are put into practice through hands-on workshops. IAAC gives students the opportunity to create individual studio agendas and develop Pilot Thesis Projects based on the knowledge acquired during the seminars and workshops split into 3 Modules. In this way, IAAC puts together an experimental learning environment for the training of professionals with both theoretical and practical responses to the increasing complexity of the construction sector.
Context This exercise explores robotic fabrication processes through the direct manipulation of malleable materials. The assignment consisted of producing a 2.5D clay piece, measuring 40 × 40 cm with a maximum height of 5 cm, understood as a physical result of a robotically applied force on soft matter.Rather than designing a predefined form, the goal … Read more
Introduction In Anatomy of a Machine: Spill, we designed and built our own paint-spilling tools and worked with large robotic arms to create expressive, A0-scale paintings. Over the weeks, we tested movements with our hands, translated them into robotic trajectories, and refined both the tools and the resulting spill patterns. Using Arduino and laser-cut acrylic … Read more
Advanced toolpath design for FDM process Students will design and simulate a toolpath for a small object intended for interior or product design. The focus is on exploring creative toolpath strategies, especially non-planar slicing, where the toolpath height changes across the object. Students must design a non-planar path and use attractors to locally deform the … Read more
Evy Slabbinck – D2P – Design to Production How do you build a complex timber structure with zero errors in record time? Evy Slabbinck from Design-to-Production reveals the answer: merging computational precision with material intelligence. In this interview, we explored bending-active design, digital fabrication workflows, and the philosophy behind projects that push timber to new … Read more
Introduction This project investigates the dialogue between human gesture and robotic motion through painting. Over three weeks, students study brush behavior, paint flow, and stroke dynamics, beginning manually and progressively translating gestures into robotic trajectories. The final outcome is an A2 robot-made painting, accompanied by a vectorial drawing and a 60-second video, reflecting the anatomy … Read more
Guest Lecture at IAAC (14 October 2025) – Exploring how La Máquina merges design, robotics, and the human element. During one of our sessions at IAAC, we had the opportunity to meet Aldo Sollazzo, co-founder of La Máquina, Noumena, and Pure.Tech, as well as a former IAAC faculty member in the field of robotic fabrication.Invited through the coordination of … Read more
Introduction This project orients around robotic drawing system that uses a brush to create adaptive visual results. It focuses on turning basic painting actions; such as dipping, stroking, and rotating—into clear, programmable steps. By combining digital design tools with robotic movement, the work explores how changes in brush angle, paint material, and surface conditions shape … Read more
The massage chair is an experiment in digital fabrication and hybrid workflows, using computational design, CNC milling, 6-axis robotic milling, and human assembly and finishing, to understand how different subtractive manufacturing processes can be combined to balance speed, precision, and material expression in digital fabrication. Materials Tools Used Early Designs Early explorations of designs in … Read more
The Nidra Chair was developed within the framework of Workshop 1.1, where we explored robotic milling using the KUKA robotic arm. The design process was guided by a set of conceptual ideas—texture, nest, wings, and storage—which shaped the formal and tactile language of the piece. Inspired by notions of protection, warmth, and well-being, Nidra seeks … Read more
Abstract: The Elephant Chair project was developed during the workshop “Robotic Milling and Design for Subtractive Manufacturing Workflows.”This workshop explored hybrid fabrication methods combining 3-axis CNC milling and 6-axis robotic milling to translate digital geometries into precise wooden prototypes. Our team designed and fabricated a furniture piece inspired by organic anatomy, robust yet flexible, mirroring the mechanical elegance of the machines used … Read more
OBJECTIVE Understand the anatomy of the hand-drawn brushstrokes During the first phase of this exercise we were tasked with studying the essence of a paint brush stroke. This involved understanding the tool itself: the flexibility of the hair, the viscosity of the paint, and the length of a stroke before the paint is finished. We … Read more
INTRO As part of the “Anatomy of a Machine – Shape” course, we engaged in an exercise that explores the possibilities of robotic material manipulation through various tools and techniques. Our objective was to research and experiment with sustainable, accessible, and locally available materials, applying scientific and creative principles to produce unique prototypes. This process … Read more
An Intersectional Investigation Robotics is the field of study focused on the research and application of robotic systems. This definition, however, doesn’t provide much insight. So, what is a robot? Robots are machines that can operate autonomously or through programmed input to perform specific tasks, often replacing human effort. These tasks are typically complex and … Read more
Team member(s): Govind Chithrath, Santosh Shenbagamoorthy, Krystyn Kontos , Aleksandra Kraeva and Lauren DemingModified by Lauren Deming on November 24, 2024 Ultimately, the goal is to develop more efficient means for harvesting and utilizing low-carbon footprint alternatives for construction. Course Objective Project Abstract Autonomous Weaving with Raw Materials explores the intersection between weaving automation and the use of raw materials. After analyzing … Read more
Introduction As part of the workshop led by Javier Fuentes and Moritz Dörstelmann the Chair of Digital Design and Fabrication (DDF) at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), our team explored the potential of willow as an innovative material in architecture. This project merges sustainability, advanced design, and robotic technology to develop breathable and adaptive … Read more
Cork-based 3d printing – Topological Optimisation Design Introduction The seminar invites students to explore new materials, additive processes and new fields of applications through robotic 3d printing taking advantage of the potential of the 6-axes of the robotic arm. Context Recently we have clearly observed immense changes in architectural design development. Architecture has been influenced … Read more
