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.


Filters

Timber Narratives

Building on the principles of disassembly explored last semester, this phase of the Timber Narratives project delves deeper into advanced data-driven design strategies. We now capture and utilize timber colour values through enhanced scanning technologies, integrating this data into our designs. Additionally, we’ve implemented machine learning with logistic regression for precise categorization of timber for … Read more

ReWeave_3.0

Abstract: The ReWeave project develops a robotic system to repurpose construction and demolition (C&D) waste into functional, attractive walls, enhancing human-robot collaboration. We created a database by scanning broken tiles to extract shape, size, and color information, then developed custom nesting algorithms to optimize tile arrangement. The workflow includes scanning tiles, exporting outlines via ROS, … Read more

Robot of Babel

नमस्ते – مرحبًا – OLÁ – HOLÁ AIM Our aim is to make Human Robot Collaboration accessible to a variety of users via different languages by developing  a speech to toolpath interface. RELEVANCE METHOD Workflow As the participant enters the room, they are greeted by a robot with a friendly waving motion. The participant can … Read more

Hey Jarvis, let’s Collaborate!

This project explores a framework for Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) and behavioural fabrication, focusing on constructing a Jenga-like tower using small timber blocks. Using the Agent-Based Modeling system (ABxM) from the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD), a communication network was established integrating a human participant, a computer vision system, and an interactive audio interface. … Read more

Agent-based Manufacturing System

Industry Setup Relevance:  ABMS could be a twist on traditional manufacturing by using software agents to control different parts of the process. Imagine a factory where machines, workstations, and even software programs aren’t just following instructions but can somewhat act and decide independently. This helps in faster problem-solving mechanisms and could help reduce human intervention … Read more

Manifesto for Robotics in Construction Tailored Policies and Protocols for Diverse Environments

Inspired by Jordi’s Masterclass at IAAC, where he shared his experiences in robotic business and scope exploration, we’ve crafted our manifesto. This document reflects the significant insights he shared, particularly concerning entrepreneurship and startup endeavors in the construction industry. Shaping our collaborative journey into the intersection of design, technology, and construction, this manifesto outlines tailored … Read more

Mycelium in Construction for Catalonia

Throughout this blog we will highlight each section and we hope to inspire others like the way we have been inspired. We will present a progressive material, then show how we get this material integrated into the construction world. Proposition “ We propose that the usage of Mycelium should be legalised in the Code for … Read more

Between Coral Reefs, Rovers and Foundation Systems

In this proposal, our objective is to explore the synergies and interconnectedness of various systems. Specifically, we have grouped together to investigate how coral reef restoration techniques, autonomous rovers, and sustainable foundation systems can collaborate to develop compelling decarbonization proposals. Reef Platform + Rover Submersive Rovers to detect fishing nets and remove it in Punta … Read more

Truss and Roof Health

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

PatchX

Aim The project was aimed to develop a methodology to detect damages in walls with the help of Yolo’s trained models furthering to gain the quantitative and economic analysis of the development any project. Workflow Initially, we conducted a site scan using an RGB camera of Dji drone the site was mapped section by section … Read more

“Timber Narratives”

Aim To develop a modular system for seamless automated assembly and disassembly, specifically tailored for the reclamation and repurposing of planar, semi-standardized waste materials ,and also to foster circularity by maximizing resource efficiency and ensuring a sustainable end-of-life use for products within the system. Context State of the art Methodology Assembly and disassembly process by … Read more

PRINT-SCAN-ADAPT

Context Is additive manufacturing going to change the way we fabricate? Certainly it is, additive manufacturing has an immense growth potential with a 22% annual growth as it has offers mass customization and reduced waste. One of the challenges in additive manufacturing is to improve the precision and reliability of the manufacturing process. This can … Read more

SimplifAI

Changing architecture with AI Market study Architecture as a profession is well know for its long work hours and less pay. Because as an industry in general is the least optimised industry just above agriculture and hunting in 2020. This results into more work load and less output. Hence the productivity rate is negative 1.4,which … Read more

Code Cargo

Physical Prototype of Code-Cargo

Brief Intending to improve productivity, our focus fell upon the constraints of robot arms. The bounding area of limitation is a reoccurring issue when working with machines, as the area of reach is defined by the physical limitations of the physical components. In this blog, we investigate a solution to increase the range reach for … Read more

Visualising Genres: Investigating the Combination of Acoustics and Art in Multi-Material 3D Printed Walls

Brief Our curiosity brought us to an intriguing investigation at the nexus of technology, craftsmanship, and acoustics in the quest to elevate spatial design. This blog shares the story of our journey, where we used a cutting-edge multi-material 3D printing technique to produce personalized sound-diffusing walls—a first for the industry. Our concept began with a … Read more

Repella-tractor

Repella-tractor

This project revolved around utilising computational thinking and logical principles for crafting assembly and growth processes. This exploration involved using iterative algorithmic approaches, commencing with essential spatial building components. We have designed a few essential components in the form of voxels that served as fundamental computational units, having the capability to both store and process … Read more

Computational Logic for Generative Design

The project focuses on generative assemblies comprised of multiple identical modules. It is crucial to design the shape of the components and the connection points between each of them, as well as not to add occlusions. Components will grow randomly depending on the shape as well as the location of the connection points. The design … Read more