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.
The Context Aim State Of The Art The Workflow System Architecture Robotic Cell Scanning – Robotic cell Scanning Nesting – Initial Experiments Nesting Custom logic Iteration A Nesting Custom logic Iteration B Binder – Geopolymer with alkaline activators – Sodium silicate Binder – Geopolymer with alkaline activators – Sodium silicate and Sodium hydroxide Binder – … Read more
Aim To explore innovative parametric tiling designs through the utilization of robotic tiling setups. The project aim is to utilize the functions of COMPAS framework and its extensions for robotic planning. Also, to incorporate computer vision and scanning information into the tiling process to enhance precision and efficiency. Design Logic Inspired by the idea of … Read more
AIM DESIGN The three distinct design methodologies we explored employed grayscale image mapping, where the gray areas functioned as attractors and filters for colored circles. Our second experiment focused on employing curves as generators for the spatial arrangement and packing of a variety of larger circles. The third methodology extended our exploration to the incorporation … Read more
This project documents a 1-week workshop that introduced students to the COMPAS framework. Our goal was to design a tile mosaic that would be part of a collaborative pick-and-place workflow with the UR5, incorporating COMPAS Fab, Kangaroo (Grasshopper), and ROS. What is COMPAS? Utilizing the COMPAS framework developed by Gramazio Kohler Research and the larger … Read more
INTELLIGENT SENSING AND VISION This project aims to develop an interactive LED matrix capable of dynamically responding to real-time behaviors in its surrounding environment while ensuring versatility in its applications. By integrating sensors to detect various environmental stimuli and employing advanced data processing techniques, the LED matrix will generate dynamic visual patterns that reflect the … Read more
CONTEXT Consequences of carbon emission Building operations are responsible for approximately 27% annually, while the embodied carbon of just four building and infrastructure materials – cement, iron, steel, and aluminum – are responsible for an additional 15% annually EuropeanClimateLaw The European Climate Law writes into law the goal set out in the European Green Deal for Europe’s economy and society to become climate-neutral by 2050. The law also sets the intermediate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Climate neutrality by 2050 means achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions for EU countries as a whole, mainly by cutting emissions, investing in green technologies and protecting … Read more
State of the Art In recent decades, kinetic facades have surfaced as innovative architectural elements, offering alternative building envelopes tailored to address escalating and intricate demands related to user comfort, energy consumption, and cost efficiency. Various articulations of this concept have been advanced, encompassing approaches that span from the integration of inventive components to the … Read more
Our project began with an engaging challenge: to digitally map the future home of the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) using cutting-edge technology. We harnessed photogrammetry, a method that transforms a series of photos into a comprehensive 3D model, using both drones and smartphones to capture the images. This technique allowed us to … Read more
ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS FOR 3D SPACE ANALYSIS AIM This workshop ran in collaboration with Noumena and IAAC where we were introduced to a environmental scanning and data processing workflows which combined the use of photogrammetry and point-cloud data. The site of the study was at IAAC’s new building which is yet to be constructed. From this … Read more
State of the Art Raw Timber and AEC Industry Wood waste is often disregarded in the wood industry and the construction industry. Majority of wood used in construction is sawn and processed wood that not only generates waste on its production but it is also associated with high CO2 emissions, because of the embodied energy … Read more
AIM \\ To create custom designed, 3D printed interior surface cladding, constructed of individual components with high quality surface finish and tolerance. CONTEXT \\ Last term we designed a dual end effector that would have an extruder and a wire cutter within the same tool, allowing us to post process the 3D printed pieces to … Read more
Context Additive manufacturing is growing exponentially in many industries at many levels, pushing towards new upgrades as a competitive alternative by reducing its logistic and production costs and increasing its flexibility and adaptability to the market’s demand. However, there is still an important challenge that it is facing: a gap on matching references between physical … Read more
The construction industry creates a waste that is expected to reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025 (Transparency market research). Because of this the market started trying different new techniques to construct with less waste, that is how with the 4.0 industrial revolution came the Additive manufacturing process, that fabricates physical 3D objects layer by … Read more
An interactive art installation that utilizes thermal imaging and real-time animation to create a captivating visual experience. The general aim of the project “Thermal Rhythm” was to generate an interactive art-wall in complete darkness which translates the human body movements into animations that controls or visualizes the emotions of the detected person through different colors … Read more
The efficient utilization of forestry products plays a vital role in sustaining industries such as construction and furniture manufacturing. To meet the demands of mass production, raw materials undergo a process of standardization, enabling streamlined operations and increased output. However, this standardization process results in the generation of valuable by-products such as planar offcuts. These … Read more
This project focuses on creating a workflow and a tool to automate the design process with irregular wood offcuts.
This project focuses on resolving the algorithmic issues that needs to be tackled in order to automate the design process with irregular wood offcuts.
