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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

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

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

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

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

Robotic Fabrication of Friction Based Timber Joinery

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MRAC-02 2024-2025

Robotic Fabrication of Friction-Based Timber Joinery: Burr Puzzle Assembly This research explores robotic assembly of friction-based interlocking timber joints using the burr puzzle as a case study. The puzzle’s tight tolerances and sequential assembly pose challenges. Through modeling and robotic execution, the study shows that while a single-robot approach is feasible, dual robots are necessary … Read more

Clay Spatial Printing II (Sensing for Detection)

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MRAC-02 2024-2025

Workflow for Detection (Transformation to the Real World) Test for getting the points in real world Workflow for Detection (Getting points into the Trajectory) Test for getting the points in real world Workflow for Detection (Processing on Point Cloud) Test for getting the points in real world Machina Connection for ABB_6700 (Simulation)

RE_SHAPE

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

Digital  Transformation  of  Discarded  Logs  for  Structural  and  Design  Applications Re_Shape is a design and innovation project that addresses a major blind spot in the forestry industry: the waste of tree trunks that are curved, bifurcated, or otherwise irregular and therefore excluded from traditional processing systems. These logs are typically downgraded into low-value products like … Read more

Software II _ Scanning Wood Waste

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

Github : https://github.com/j-albo/scanning-wood-waste INTRODUCTION Currently, only 15% of wood waste is recycled globally, while up to 60% of felled trees remain unused. Many irregular pieces that do not meet industrial standards are discarded without leveraging their structural and aesthetic potential. Our goal is to rethink these waste materials through scanning, analysis, and digital transformation, converting them into … Read more

Scanning for Reconstruction: Non Planar 3D printing

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

Introduction In this exercise, our objective was to scan a physical object and use the acquired data to generate a toolpath for non-planar 3D printing. To achieve this, we integrated tools such as Grasshopper, Python, and ROS (Robot Operating System) and conducted multiple tests to optimize the scanning strategy and post-processing. Methodology To achieve non-planar … Read more

Guess the Cup: Robotic Track + Respond

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

Introduction to Robotic Operating Systems Github repository: https://github.com/sashakraeva/MRAC-ur-perception Introduction his course provided a thorough introduction to the Robot Operating System (ROS), teaching us essential skills in robotic software development. We learned about key ROS concepts like nodes, topics, messages, and services. Using robotic perception as case studies, we understood how ROS connected robots, sensors, and … Read more

Fan Only: A Cataloguing Approach to Glazing

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MRAC-01 2024-2025

Introduction The exploration of robotic fabrication with traditional techniques has become increasingly important in the ceramic industry, opening up new possibilities for innovation, efficiency and mass production. This research, in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio, bridges traditional artistry and robotic innovation, using only a fan brush to explore creative possibilities in ceramic glazing. Design Methodology The … Read more