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.
INTRODUCTION: In today’s era of mass customization, robotics play a key role in shaping a variety of materials. This research investigates the capacity of the ABB IRB 6700 robotic arm to perform metal forming operations on 6 mm steel rebars. Despite axis torque limitations, the process successfully yields horizontal balustrade components intended for architectural integration at … Read more
Crafting performative structures through robotic earth injection in dynamic fiber scaffolds Terraweave is an architectural research project that explores how robotic additive manufacturing can enhance the performance of natural building materials. Conducted as part of the Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction at IAAC, the project investigates the integration of willow scaffolds and earth injection … Read more
Hybrid Timber and Stone Constrcuction System Utilisng 6-axis Robotic Fabriction Our research begins with a critique of how we build today. Technological advancements have enabled rapid, standardized, and seemingly affordable construction. But these efficiencies hide deeper costs. In reality, we’re paying through the loss of cultural specificity, environmental integrity, and material identity. What emerges is … Read more
ABSTRACT Autonomous parametric furniture assembly using modular blocks and ROS-driven industrial robots promises to revolutionize on-demand manufacturing. In this work, we introduce DRDA (Dynamic Robotic Design Activities), a unified framework that seamlessly links customer-driven design to autonomous multi-robot execution. A user-defined geometry and style, which our custom block-selection and toolpath-generation engine converts into collision-free pick-and-place … Read more
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 sector globally consumes a significant amount of energy for heating and cooling. In fact, about half of the global cooling load is … Read more
In the pursuit of a sustainable built environment, Timber Syntax demonstrates how reclaimed, non-homogeneous timber can be transformed into high-quality facade systems through a computational and robotic pipeline. Developed at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), this project bridges waste reuse, advanced fabrication, and circular design to propose a new paradigm for timber … Read more
Why – Problem context In the current forestry industry, only 40% of each harvested tree is actually used for construction or valuable products. The remaining 60% often ends up as waste — discarded, chipped, or burned as firewood. This imbalance sparked a fundamental question:Can we change this ratio? Driven by that inquiry, we began exploring … Read more
Aerial Reforestation Using Autonomous Drones Context Desertification is a major environmental challenge in Spain, driven by both natural and human factors. Over 74% of the country’s land is at risk, especially in regions like Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia, and Castilla-La Mancha. This is largely intensified by factors such as deforestation and wildfires, which leave the soil … Read more
“Spatial Cognition in Robotics: Optimizing Construction Workflow with AI”Shu Xiao – MRAC02 Thesis, IAAC 2024–2025 Despite advances in manufacturing automation, the construction industry continues to rely heavily on manual labor due to its unpredictable environment, safety concerns, and fragmented workflows. This project explores how vision-guided robotics and real-time AI agents can close that gap by … Read more
1. Research Statement AIM OF RESEARCH: To create a biocomposite material primarily out of Cacau Seed Shell and utilizing PLA as its matrix and use it for robotic additive manufacturing process to produce interior design pieces, following evaluation parameters from circular economy 2. How to add the maximum amount of CSS to PLA Matrix 3. … Read more
The Challenge Traditional industrial robot software emphasizes reliability, precision, and repeatability. This approach can make the human-robot collaborations feel uncreative and non-engaging. Robots must by dynamic and engaging to thrive in a human-centered environment. The Solution The Overview Inverse Kinematics Using Inverse kinematics to orchestrate joint rotations, and constructing smooth mathematical functions that are composed … Read more
“Precision becomes poetry through reflection and sound.” Reflection is an immersive installation that explores the potential of precision and reflection between two robotic arms through synchronized movements. Equipped with mirrors, the robots become both instruments and performers. Concept: The law of reflection The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence is equal to … Read more
Course Overview The MRAC Applied Theory III course focuses on the exploration of collaborative robotics through the lens of ( MAS ) Multi-Agent Systems, in which different components of the system work autonomously and collaborate in order to execute complex tasks. The course investigates how digital and physical bots , operate within a shared environment … Read more
